Jeannie A Barnes

Jeannie A. Barnes serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), where she leads the acquisition of advanced aerospace and space systems technologies critical to national security. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of research and development contracts, from solicitation and evaluation to award and contract administration, ensuring alignment with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic imperatives in space domain awareness, resilient computing, and autonomous space operations. She specializes in procuring high-performance instrumentation, propulsion subsystems, and next-generation satellite communication technologies through non-traditional and traditional defense contractors engaged in foundational science and engineering innovation. Ms. Barnes maintains collaborative relationships with a diverse array of technical contractors, including defense primes, research institutions, and specialized engineering firms with expertise in rocket propulsion, hypersonics, and space-based sensor systems. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and agile acquisition methodologies to accelerate prototyping and fielding of mission-critical capabilities. She frequently engages with vendors possessing deep domain knowledge in physical and engineering sciences, fostering partnerships that bridge laboratory innovation with operational deployment. Ms. Barnes does not utilize socioeconomic set-asides in her procurement portfolio, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted under full and open competition. This reflects the highly specialized nature of the technologies required and the limited pool of qualified entities capable of meeting the technical and security demands of AFRL’s mission. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through set-asides, she remains attentive to qualified small businesses that demonstrate exceptional technical capability in her target domains. Her primary focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures cutting-edge R&D services in propulsion physics, materials science, space electronics, and autonomous systems. Her portfolio centers on foundational research, prototype development, and technology maturation, requiring contractors with advanced laboratory capabilities and experience in classified aerospace programs.