Jennifer Kleiv

Jennifer Kleiv serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she leads the acquisition of advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She manages complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical innovations. Her portfolio emphasizes fundamental and applied R&D, aligning with the agency’s mandate to accelerate breakthroughs in adaptive flight control and advanced materials integration. Kleiv oversees the full lifecycle of procurements—from solicitation and evaluation to award and contract administration—supporting the Air Force’s strategic imperatives in propulsion science and aerospace engineering. Kleiv maintains consistent partnerships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships are characterized by long-term, technically demanding collaborations centered on proprietary research, prototyping, and systems integration. She works closely with industry leaders possessing deep expertise in propulsion systems, composite materials, and computational fluid dynamics, fostering innovation through performance-based contracting and technical risk-sharing mechanisms. Her approach prioritizes technical excellence, schedule reliability, and mission alignment over cost alone. Kleiv’s contracting activity reflects a strict focus on full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside provisions. She does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead emphasizing technical capability and mission readiness as the primary selection criteria. While small business participation is not formally structured through socioeconomic preferences, she remains open to qualified small entities that demonstrate proven expertise in propulsion R&D and advanced materials development. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures cutting-edge engineering services, computational modeling, materials testing, and prototype development. Kleiv’s domain expertise spans jet engine innovation, scramjet systems, thermal protection materials, and high-temperature composites, ensuring the Air Force maintains technological superiority in next-generation propulsion.