Jessica Kirtlink

Jessica Kirtlink serves as a key procurement professional within Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to advance maritime warfare capabilities through the acquisition of advanced sensor, navigation, and electronic warfare systems. She manages complex contracts for research, development, and testing of undersea, surface, and aerial domain technologies, ensuring alignment with naval operational requirements. Her portfolio centers on high-technology systems requiring rigorous engineering validation, including sonar arrays, communication integrations, and precision navigation instrumentation, often involving classified or controlled technical data. She maintains strategic relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including Science Applications International Corporation, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, and Astronics Test Systems Inc., partnering with firms capable of delivering mission-critical hardware and integrated systems. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical proficiency, compliance with defense standards, and lifecycle support, frequently engaging vendors with proven expertise in electronic systems integration, test equipment fabrication, and specialized component manufacturing. While the majority of her acquisitions are unrestricted—reflecting the specialized nature of the technologies procured—she consistently allocates approximately 15.4% of contract opportunities to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation without compromising mission readiness. Her socioeconomic contracting patterns prioritize capability over set-aside mandates, ensuring qualified small businesses are selected based on technical merit and past performance. Her primary NAICS focus areas include 334511 for search and navigation systems, 541330 for engineering services, and 332721 for precision-turned components, underscoring deep expertise in aerospace-grade manufacturing and systems engineering. She procures mission-enabling technologies such as sonar transducers, ruggedized avionics, and maritime communication modules, consistently supporting NUWC’s role as a technical authority in naval warfare innovation.