Jay D. Cohen

Jay D. Cohen serves as a Contracting Officer for the National Continuity SECTION (CON50) within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, responsible for executing mission-critical acquisitions that sustain national resilience during emergencies. He manages the full lifecycle of contracts for secure communications systems, emergency infrastructure, and technical support services essential to maintaining operational continuity under adverse conditions. His portfolio emphasizes acquisitions governed by FAR Part 13 and Part 15, with a focus on performance-based contracting and risk-mitigated solicitation strategies aligned with DHS cybersecurity and infrastructure hardening directives. Cohen ensures compliance with federal continuity planning requirements while balancing innovation, redundancy, and mission assurance in every procurement. Cohen maintains collaborative relationships with a diverse pool of contractors specializing in engineering services, information technology, and critical infrastructure construction. He regularly engages with firms capable of delivering rapid-deployment communication systems, cybersecurity-hardened platforms, and emergency response infrastructure solutions. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, his contracting patterns reflect a preference for vendors with proven experience in federal continuity programs, secure systems integration, and emergency operations support. He fosters transparent, performance-driven partnerships grounded in clear deliverables and accountability mechanisms. Cohen demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 20% of his acquisitions designated for small business set-asides—equally split between Total Small Business and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) categories. He actively promotes SDVOSB participation through targeted outreach and simplified acquisition procedures, aligning with federal mandates to enhance veteran-owned business access to national security contracts. His approach reflects a balanced strategy that prioritizes mission readiness while expanding opportunities for qualified small and veteran-owned firms. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) and 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), encompassing secure network design, emergency communications architecture, and software-enabled resilience tools. He also procures commercial and institutional construction services for hardened facilities and apprenticeship training programs to develop specialized workforce capacity. Cohen’s technical expertise centers on mission-critical infrastructure, secure communications systems, and emergency response enablement technologies.