Jenista Featherstone

Jenista Featherstone serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contract Administration Services Division (70RCAS) of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations. She plays a pivotal role in executing the acquisition of professional, scientific, and technical services critical to national security readiness. Her responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of complex procurements—from solicitation and evaluation to contract award and administration—ensuring compliance with FAR regulations and agency-specific mission requirements. Jenista specializes in securing high-integrity R&D and systems engineering services that support DHS’s operational capabilities, with a focus on physical and engineering sciences, cybersecurity infrastructure, and technical advisory services. While specific contractor names are not disclosed in available data, Jenista maintains consistent engagement with a diverse pool of vendors, including large primes, mid-tier technical firms, and small business subcontractors. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, clear statement of work development, and rigorous source selection under best-value paradigms. She fosters collaborative vendor relationships grounded in transparency, accountability, and adherence to federal acquisition standards, ensuring deliverables align with mission-critical timelines and technical specifications. Jenista’s contracting patterns reflect a strong commitment to socioeconomic goals, with 25% of her portfolio designated for Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. While the majority of her acquisitions are unrestricted, she actively prioritizes opportunities for small businesses, including those certified under HUBZone, SDB, and WOSB programs, aligning with DHS’s broader diversity and inclusion objectives in federal contracting. Her primary NAICS focus is on 541712 (Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), where she procures advanced technical services such as systems modeling, prototyping, and engineering analysis. She also supports 541850 (Advertising and Display Services) for public outreach campaigns and 923130 (Human Resource Program Administration) for workforce development initiatives, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of both technical and administrative procurement domains essential to DHS’s operational ecosystem.