Karina Levitas

Karina Levitas serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contract Administration Services Division (70RCAS) of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations, where she plays a pivotal role in executing mission-critical acquisitions that support national security and operational readiness. She manages the full lifecycle of professional, scientific, and technical service contracts, with a focus on research and development, systems engineering, and cybersecurity solutions. Her work ensures the acquisition of high-integrity technical services that sustain the agency’s technological infrastructure and advance its scientific capabilities, aligning closely with DHS’s strategic objectives in physical and engineering sciences. Levitas collaborates with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in technical consulting and scientific research services, fostering partnerships with both large industry primes and agile small businesses. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, her procurement patterns reflect a balanced approach that prioritizes technical expertise, past performance, and compliance with federal acquisition regulations. She maintains a collaborative, compliance-driven relationship with contractors, emphasizing transparency, risk mitigation, and performance accountability throughout contract execution. Her contracting strategy reflects a strong commitment to socioeconomic goals, with 25% of her acquisitions structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. She consistently prioritizes small business participation, ensuring opportunities for qualified firms to compete for high-value technical services, though the majority of her portfolio remains open to all competitors to maximize innovation and market responsiveness. Levitas specializes in NAICS 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services), which accounts for 75% of her acquisitions, encompassing engineering analysis, cybersecurity consulting, and applied research support. The remaining 25% falls under NAICS 519130, reflecting her involvement in information services related to scientific data management and technical publishing. Her domain expertise centers on mission-critical services that enhance systems integrity, threat analysis, and R&D capacity across DHS components.