Heather Valiga

Heather Valiga serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock (N00167), supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to advance maritime warfare capabilities through research, development, and testing of naval systems. She manages complex acquisitions focused on engineering services, testing laboratories, and specialized sensing technologies critical to signature management, hydrodynamic performance, and propulsion system optimization. Her work directly enables the evaluation and integration of advanced naval platforms, ensuring operational superiority through rigorous technical validation and systems engineering support. Valiga maintains strategic relationships with a select group of high-capability contractors, including BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Goodrich Corp., and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, all of which provide specialized engineering, testing, and sensor integration services. She also collaborates regularly with joint ventures such as CB Design & Huitt Zollars and niche technical firms like Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc., indicating a preference for established industry partners with proven expertise in naval systems validation. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and long-term vendor reliability over transactional procurement. Valiga’s acquisition portfolio reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a mission-driven focus on securing the highest technical capability available, regardless of socioeconomic status, aligning with Carderock’s need for mission-critical solutions that meet exacting naval standards. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, contractors with small business affiliates may still be selected based on technical merit and past performance. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) and 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services), reflecting deep engagement in structural analysis, acoustic testing, and hydrodynamic modeling. She also procures specialized measuring and controlling devices under 334519, supporting advanced sensor systems used in underwater vehicle diagnostics and signature reduction technologies. Her expertise centers on technical domains critical to naval survivability, stealth, and platform performance.