Jessica Perez

Jessica Perez serves as a key procurement lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), where she manages complex research and development acquisitions critical to advancing U.S. space dominance. Her role centers on securing cutting-edge technologies in space systems, resilient computing architectures, and high-performance instrumentation to support autonomous space operations and satellite communications. She oversees the full lifecycle of non-commercial R&D contracts, from requirement validation through award and performance monitoring, ensuring alignment with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic imperatives in space domain awareness and next-generation propulsion systems. Perez collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of defense contractors, academic research institutions, and specialized technology firms engaged in aerospace innovation. While no single vendor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages entities with proven expertise in hypersonics, space-based sensors, and real-time data processing architectures. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor and rapid prototyping, favoring partners capable of delivering high-risk, high-reward solutions under tight timelines. She maintains a performance-driven relationship model, prioritizing technical capability, past performance, and agile development methodologies over traditional cost-based evaluations. Perez’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions classified as “No Set-Aside.” This indicates a deliberate emphasis on technical merit and mission-critical capability over socioeconomic preferences, aligning with the highly specialized nature of space propulsion R&D. While small business participation is not mandated through set-asides, she remains open to qualified small businesses that demonstrate technical superiority in niche domains such as advanced propulsion testing or space-qualified electronics. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she procures advanced propulsion test hardware, autonomous guidance systems, radiation-hardened computing modules, and space-based sensor payloads. Her technical domain expertise spans rocket engine combustion dynamics, in-space propulsion control algorithms, and high-fidelity simulation environments essential for next-generation space systems.