Heather Rhoads

Heather Rhoads serves as a secondary procurement professional within the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NAVSWC PHIL), supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to modernize and sustain surface ship systems. In this role, she contributes to the acquisition lifecycle for mission-critical engineering and industrial control systems, including propulsion, damage control, and ballast infrastructure. Her work supports the development and integration of advanced electronic and mechanical systems essential to naval platform readiness, with a focus on technical contracts requiring deep domain expertise in shipboard systems and industrial manufacturing. She collaborates closely with senior contracting officers to ensure compliance with defense acquisition regulations and technical specifications. Rhoads maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including FAIRBANKS MORSE, LLC, LEIDOS, INC., ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION, G. S. E. DYNAMICS, INC., and KAMPI COMPONENTS CO INC. These partnerships reflect a blend of large prime contractors delivering integrated systems and specialized manufacturers of precision components. Her procurement patterns emphasize technical rigor, with a preference for vendors capable of delivering custom-engineered solutions for naval environments, often involving complex compliance, testing, and certification requirements under MIL-SPEC and NAVSEA standards. Her contracting activity reflects a strong orientation toward open competition, with 75% of awards issued without set-aside designations, while 25% are structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This balance underscores a commitment to fostering small business participation without compromising access to critical industrial capabilities. She supports socioeconomic goals by enabling qualified small businesses to compete for niche manufacturing and engineering opportunities aligned with naval requirements. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 333517 (Machine Tool Manufacturing), 334111 (Electronic Computer Manufacturing), and 541330 (Engineering Services), reflecting expertise in industrial automation, embedded computing, and systems engineering for naval platforms. She also procures specialized metal fabrication and nonferrous foundry services, demonstrating a technical understanding of materials and components critical to shipboard durability and performance.