Joseph Hicks

Mr. Joseph Hicks serves as a key procurement lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate, supporting advanced research and development initiatives for the Department of the Air Force. He manages complex acquisitions for high-precision scientific instrumentation, electromagnetic measurement systems, and specialized data acquisition software critical to aerospace and defense missions. His work directly enables the design, integration, and sustainment of next-generation analytical tools used in propulsion testing, signal analysis, and mission-critical simulations. Hicks operates within a highly technical acquisition environment requiring deep domain knowledge in instrumentation engineering and systems integration. He maintains consistent contracting relationships with leading technology providers including The MathWorks, Inc., for advanced modeling and simulation software, and Potomac Electrical Services, LLC, for specialized electrical and instrumentation support services. His procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships with firms possessing proven expertise in aerospace-grade instrumentation and mission-critical system sustainment. These relationships reflect a preference for contractors with established technical credibility and the capacity to deliver customized, high-reliability solutions under stringent performance standards. Hicks demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with over one-third of his awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, and an additional 5.6% reserved for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. While the majority of his acquisitions are unrestricted, his consistent use of socioeconomic set-asides reflects a deliberate strategy to foster innovation through small business engagement in high-technology domains. His procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 334510 and 334516, corresponding to analytical laboratory and electromedical instrumentation manufacturing, with additional activity in 811219 for repair and maintenance of scientific equipment. He regularly procures custom-built sensors, signal conditioning systems, and real-time data acquisition platforms used in hypersonic testing, plasma diagnostics, and electromagnetic interference analysis, reflecting deep expertise in defense-critical instrumentation and measurement technologies.