Karen L Giles

Karen L. Giles serves as a Contracting Officer within the Office of Acquisition and Grants at the Social Security Administration, where she plays a pivotal role in securing mission-critical goods and services that support the agency’s core functions in benefit administration and public trust. She manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions centered on IT modernization, systems integration, cybersecurity, and facility infrastructure, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations and alignment with SSA’s strategic objectives. Her work directly enables the reliable operation of digital platforms and physical assets essential to delivering social security services nationwide. Ms. Giles maintains established contracting relationships with key vendors including CA, Inc. and COLORID, LLC, reflecting a preference for partners with proven expertise in enterprise software solutions and specialized administrative support services. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, clear statement of work development, and rigorous vendor performance monitoring, fostering long-term collaborations grounded in accountability and technical reliability. A strong advocate for socioeconomic equity in federal contracting, Ms. Giles consistently prioritizes small business participation, with 79.2% of her awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate focus on empowering small businesses across multiple categories, including those certified under HUBZone, 8(a), and WOSB programs, reinforcing the agency’s commitment to inclusive economic opportunity. Her primary NAICS focus lies in healthcare-related services, particularly offices of physicians, which, despite seeming incongruous with SSA’s mission, reflects procurement for medical verification and disability determination support services. She also regularly acquires investigation and background check services, as well as specialized electrical and HVAC contracting for facility maintenance, demonstrating technical fluency across both digital and physical infrastructure domains. Her expertise bridges administrative operations with clinical and facility support functions critical to SSA’s operational integrity.