Katherine Lewis

Katherine Lewis serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she leads the acquisition of advanced aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonic technologies, and high-performance functional materials critical to maintaining U.S. air and space dominance. She manages complex research and development contracts aligned with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic priorities, ensuring timely delivery of cutting-edge capabilities through full and open competition. Her portfolio encompasses fundamental and applied R&D projects spanning propulsion system integration, adaptive flight control, and next-generation materials, requiring deep technical oversight and risk-managed contracting strategies. Lewis maintains long-standing relationships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC, partnering with firms possessing proven expertise in aerospace propulsion, computational modeling, and advanced materials fabrication. These collaborations are characterized by sustained engagement on multi-year technical efforts, often involving cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contract types to accommodate the iterative nature of high-risk R&D. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical merit, innovation readiness, and mission-critical performance over cost alone. Lewis’s contracting portfolio is entirely focused on full and open competition, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs. This reflects the specialized, mission-critical nature of the work, which demands highly technical capabilities typically found only among established aerospace and defense contractors with advanced engineering infrastructure and security clearances. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where she acquires advanced propulsion testing, computational fluid dynamics modeling, high-temperature material characterization, and integrated system prototyping. Her expertise lies in navigating the intersection of federal acquisition regulation and cutting-edge aerospace engineering to deliver mission-critical capabilities on aggressive timelines.