Josie A. Toste

Josie Toste serves as a Contracting Specialist within the Headquarters, Air Force Materiel Command (FA5066), where she plays a pivotal role in acquiring advanced aerospace, electronic, and analytical instrumentation critical to Air Force mission readiness. Her portfolio centers on procuring laboratory-grade equipment, sensor systems, and control instrumentation essential for aircraft modernization, test and evaluation, and weapons system integrity. She manages the full lifecycle of complex acquisitions under FAR and DFARS guidelines, ensuring compliance with technical specifications and delivery timelines for high-priority defense programs. Her work directly supports the Department of the Air Force’s strategic imperatives in sustaining air superiority and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identifiable in the data, Josie engages with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in precision measurement devices, analytical instrumentation, and professional equipment distribution. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor and performance-based requirements, fostering partnerships with manufacturers and wholesalers capable of delivering mission-critical hardware under strict quality and certification standards. She maintains a vendor ecosystem focused on innovation, reliability, and rapid response to evolving operational needs. Josie’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 92.9% of her acquisitions conducted as non-set-aside procurements. Nevertheless, she consistently allocates 7.1% of opportunities to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to small business participation without mandating specific socioeconomic categories. Her approach prioritizes capability over certification, ensuring that qualified small businesses compete fairly for technical contracts aligned with their core competencies. Her primary NAICS focus includes 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing) and 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), reflecting deep expertise in procuring precision sensors, data acquisition systems, and test equipment. She also regularly sources from 339112 (Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing) and 423490 (Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers), underscoring her cross-domain understanding of high-reliability instrumentation used in both defense and scientific applications.