Joseph Mergler

Joseph Mergler serves as a key procurement professional within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences division under the Air Force Materiel Command, where he manages complex research and development contracts to advance next-generation military technologies. His responsibilities center on acquiring high-performance solutions in autonomous sensing, target recognition, sensor exploitation, and next-generation microelectronics, ensuring alignment with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic priorities in air and space domain dominance. Mergler specializes in non-commercial, mission-critical R&D acquisitions under NAICS 541715, overseeing the full lifecycle of contracts from solicitation to award and performance monitoring, with a focus on integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning into defense systems. He maintains consistent working relationships with leading defense technology contractors, including Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Raytheon Company, and Matrix Research Inc., partnering with organizations capable of delivering advanced engineering solutions in sensor fusion, signal processing, and embedded systems. These relationships reflect a preference for established prime contractors with proven technical capabilities in classified and unclassified R&D environments, often involving multi-year, performance-based task orders requiring stringent compliance with federal acquisition regulations and security protocols. Mergler’s procurement portfolio reflects a 100% non-set-aside approach, indicating a strategic emphasis on technical excellence and mission readiness over socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in his award patterns, he actively evaluates proposals based on technical merit, past performance, and systems integration capability, ensuring the most capable vendors are selected to meet urgent operational needs. His primary industry focus is on research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences, with an emphasis on microelectronics, autonomous systems, and AI-enabled sensor architectures. He procures advanced prototypes, algorithmic software, hardware-in-the-loop testbeds, and high-fidelity simulation tools critical to sustaining technological superiority in contested environments.