Heather Kitchens

Heather Kitchens serves as a key procurement professional within the Strategic Systems Programs (N00030), supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to ensure the reliability and operational readiness of the U.S. sea-based nuclear deterrent. She manages complex acquisitions spanning systems engineering, weapons integration, and mission-critical command and control infrastructure, with a focus on lifecycle management of submarine-launched ballistic missile systems. Her work directly enables the development, testing, and sustainment of strategic deterrence platforms, requiring deep technical oversight and compliance with stringent defense acquisition regulations. Kitchens maintains strong, long-term relationships with prime contractors including Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc., Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc., and JRC Integrated Systems, LLC. These partnerships are centered on high-assurance engineering services, missile component manufacturing, and integrated systems development, reflecting a preference for established defense industrial base partners with proven expertise in classified and safety-critical environments. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, risk mitigation, and sustained performance across multi-year program phases. Her procurement portfolio is overwhelmingly dominated by open competitions, with 91.7% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions, indicating a focus on capability over socioeconomic classification. While small business participation is limited to 8.3%—primarily through Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5—her approach prioritizes mission-critical performance and industrial base stability over socioeconomic targeting. Kitchens’ acquisitions are heavily concentrated in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) and 336419 (Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing), reflecting her specialization in advanced systems engineering, guidance and propulsion subsystems, and integrated warhead architectures. Her work demands deep domain expertise in nuclear deterrent systems, weapons integration, and secure communications infrastructure, aligning closely with the technical rigor required to sustain the nation’s strategic deterrent posture.