Jay Tobin

Jay Tobin serves as a Contracting Officer for the National Forests in Mississippi, operating under the U.S. Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture. In this role, he manages the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions to support sustainable forest management, infrastructure resilience, and public safety across Mississippi’s forested lands. His portfolio primarily includes construction, maintenance, and operational support contracts critical to preserving road and trail networks, implementing wildfire mitigation systems, and ensuring ecological integrity. Tobin applies rigorous FAR compliance and strategic sourcing to align procurement outcomes with the agency’s mission of balancing resource conservation with public access. Tobin cultivates collaborative relationships with a diverse range of contractors, particularly those specializing in forestry support services, civil engineering, and environmental stewardship. He regularly engages with small businesses and niche vendors possessing technical expertise in forest operations, trail construction, and habitat restoration. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and long-term vendor partnerships, fostering reliability and accountability in delivering mission-critical services under challenging environmental conditions. A staunch advocate for small business inclusion, Tobin consistently prioritizes socioeconomic set-asides, with nearly 88% of his acquisitions designated for total small business participation under FAR 19.5. He actively promotes opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and demonstrates a strong preference for contracting with firms certified under HUBZone and other small business programs, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to equitable economic development in rural communities. His procurement focus centers on NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), which accounts for over one-third of his portfolio, followed by highway and bridge construction (237310) and other heavy civil engineering (237990). He also procures janitorial services and environmental consulting to support day-to-day operations and compliance with federal land management standards. Tobin’s expertise lies in integrating technical forestry requirements with sound contracting practices to deliver resilient, environmentally responsible infrastructure.