Karen Mercer

Karen Mercer serves as a key procurement lead within the Federal Aviation Administration’s AAQ600 692M15 Acquisition & Grants unit, where she oversees the acquisition of mission-critical engineering, software, and technical services essential to modernizing the national airspace system. Her work directly supports FAA priorities in aviation safety, air traffic management, and aerospace research by securing advanced solutions in flight data analytics, risk assessment platforms, and infrastructure design tools. She manages a portfolio centered on complex, high-stakes technical contracts requiring rigorous compliance with federal acquisition regulations and performance-based sourcing strategies. Mercer cultivates strategic relationships with a broad spectrum of vendors specializing in systems engineering, computational modeling, and IT infrastructure support. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven expertise in aerospace-grade software development, real-time data processing, and secure cloud-based facility management. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical capability, past performance, and compliance with cybersecurity standards such as NIST SP 800-53, fostering long-term partnerships with firms capable of scaling solutions across FAA’s nationwide operational environment. Mercer’s procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued without socioeconomic set-asides. This indicates a focus on selecting the most technically qualified offerors regardless of business size or certification status, prioritizing mission readiness and system interoperability over socioeconomic targets. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in her portfolio, vendors of all sizes are evaluated on technical merit and capacity to deliver mission-critical capabilities under tight timelines. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541715, reflecting deep engagement with research and development in physical and engineering sciences—particularly in aviation systems modeling, simulation, and predictive analytics. She also frequently procures computer facilities management services under NAICS 541513, ensuring robust, secure, and scalable IT environments to support FAA’s real-time operational systems. Her domain expertise centers on integrating advanced computational tools into air traffic control infrastructure and enhancing data-driven decision-making across the national airspace.