Imani Payne

Imani Payne serves as a Contract Specialist within the Department of the Air Force’s FA7014 office, where she manages the acquisition of professional services and technical support critical to sustaining Air Force operational readiness. Her portfolio centers on systems engineering and technical assistance (SETA), enterprise IT modernization, and mission-critical analytics, ensuring alignment with the agency’s strategic modernization goals. She executes full lifecycle contracting actions—from market research and solicitation development to award and administration—primarily for complex, high-stakes procurements requiring specialized technical expertise and compliance with federal acquisition regulations. Imani maintains longstanding relationships with key contractors including SIGMATECH, INC. and PURDUE UNIVERSITY, partnering with both industry leaders and academic institutions to deliver cutting-edge technical solutions. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and rigorous technical evaluation, fostering collaborative engagements that bridge innovation with mission requirements. She routinely works with vendors possessing deep domain expertise in cybersecurity, data analytics, and defense-grade IT infrastructure, ensuring contract deliverables meet stringent DoD standards. Imani’s procurement patterns reflect a consistent preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her focus remains on securing the highest-quality technical capabilities through merit-based evaluation, ensuring mission-critical outcomes are met without constraint. Her primary NAICS focus includes 337214 (Office Furniture Manufacturing), 334210 (Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing), and 721110 (Hotels and Motels), indicating a unique alignment between administrative support services and facility-related procurement needs. Though these categories appear non-traditional for a defense agency, they reflect her role in acquiring essential infrastructure and operational support assets that underpin the day-to-day functionality of mission-critical installations. Her expertise lies in translating facility and administrative requirements into compliant, efficient contracts that enable sustained operational effectiveness.