Heather Pulliam

Heather Pulliam serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, supporting the development, testing, and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems. She manages complex acquisitions for mission-critical avionics, electronic warfare suites, communications systems, and integrated aircraft subsystems that ensure air superiority and fleet readiness. Her portfolio spans research and development contracts for next-generation airborne technologies, with a focus on engineering services, systems integration, and hardware procurement aligned with the Department of the Navy’s modernization priorities. Pulliam plays a central role in executing strategic sourcing initiatives that bridge cutting-edge innovation with operational fielding requirements. She maintains established working relationships with leading defense contractors including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for experienced prime contractors capable of delivering high-assurance, mission-essential systems under stringent technical and compliance standards. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical risk mitigation, and lifecycle sustainment, often involving long-term contract vehicles and technical evaluation panels to ensure capability alignment. Pulliam’s procurement activity is overwhelmingly non-set-aside, with 96.2% of awards issued under full and open competition, indicating a strong emphasis on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is limited at 3.9%, it is primarily channeled through Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, suggesting selective but deliberate inclusion of qualified small firms where technical capacity permits. Her primary NAICS focus is on Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (541712), reflecting deep engagement in advanced avionics, sensor fusion, and mission systems engineering. Additional emphasis is placed on communications equipment manufacturing (334290) and electronic computer manufacturing (334111), underscoring expertise in airborne data links, embedded computing, and secure signal processing systems critical to modern naval air operations.