Jodi Alvarez

Jodi Alvarez serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. Responsible for negotiating complex technical and commercial terms on research and development contracts, she facilitates the acquisition of next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight components, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate innovation in adaptive flight control and mission-critical aerospace technologies through strategic partnerships with industry leaders and research institutions. Alvarez maintains sustained contracting relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit AeroSystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by long-term collaboration on high-complexity R&D efforts, often involving proprietary materials, computational modeling, and prototype development. Her negotiation approach emphasizes technical alignment, risk mitigation, and performance-based acquisition strategies, ensuring deliverables meet rigorous military standards while fostering innovation. Her procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on unrestricted competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a mission-driven priority to access the broadest possible pool of technical expertise, prioritizing capability over socioeconomic categorization. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, her contracting practices remain open to qualified small firms that demonstrate technical excellence in propulsion and materials science. Alvarez’s acquisitions are exclusively governed by NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her deep specialization in fundamental and applied aerospace engineering. She procures advanced composites, thermal protection systems, propulsion test hardware, and flight control algorithms, working closely with contractors who possess expertise in hypersonics, combustion dynamics, and high-temperature material characterization. Her domain knowledge ensures that contract requirements align with the technical rigor demanded by cutting-edge propulsion research.