Juliana Nine

Captain Juliana Nine serves as a procurement leader within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), overseeing the acquisition of advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. In her capacity as Captain, she manages complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her portfolio emphasizes fundamental and applied engineering research, ensuring timely transition of innovative solutions from lab to field. She plays a pivotal role in aligning procurement strategy with the AFRL’s mission to accelerate technological superiority through strategic partnerships with industry and academia. Captain Nine maintains consistent working relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration on propulsion system integration, adaptive flight control architectures, and advanced material development. Her contracting approach prioritizes performance-based outcomes, leveraging long-term, multi-phase contract vehicles to support sustained R&D efforts and rapid prototyping cycles. Captain Nine’s procurement portfolio is exclusively structured under non-set-aside authorities, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a deliberate strategy to access the broadest possible pool of technical expertise, particularly in highly specialized domains where only a limited number of vendors possess the required capabilities. While small business participation is not mandated through socioeconomic set-asides, she actively encourages small business involvement through subcontracting opportunities and mentor-protégé arrangements. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing propulsion system design, materials characterization, computational fluid dynamics, and thermal management systems. She routinely procures advanced engineering services, test and evaluation support, and proprietary material formulations essential to next-generation air and space platforms.