Kathleen J. Notaro

Kathleen Notaro serves as a Contract Specialist within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where she plays a critical role in executing the lifecycle acquisition of naval aviation systems. Her responsibilities encompass the full spectrum of contracting activities—from solicitation and evaluation to award and contract administration—for advanced aeronautical, missile, and avionics systems. She supports NAVAIR’s mission to sustain air superiority by ensuring timely, compliant, and technically sound procurement of mission-critical capabilities for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Her portfolio primarily involves complex, high-technology acquisitions requiring rigorous technical oversight and systems integration expertise. Notaro maintains consistent contracting relationships with industry leaders including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics, partnering with prime contractors that deliver advanced aircraft platforms, guided missile systems, and mission-critical avionics. Her working model emphasizes collaboration with established defense contractors possessing deep domain expertise in naval aviation, often managing multi-year, performance-based contracts that integrate systems engineering, sustainment, and logistics support. These partnerships are built on a foundation of technical rigor, compliance with defense acquisition regulations, and a focus on operational readiness. Notaro’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a strategic alignment with NAVAIR’s requirement for specialized, large-scale capabilities that typically exceed the capacity of small business concerns, while still ensuring competitive rigor and value-driven outcomes. While socioeconomic set-asides are not utilized in her portfolio, she adheres strictly to federal procurement integrity standards and promotes fair competition among qualified industry participants. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334511 (aeronautical and navigation systems), 336414 (guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing), and 541330 (engineering services), reflecting deep expertise in radar, electronic warfare, flight control systems, and systems engineering support. She routinely procures integrated hardware-software solutions critical to carrier-based and expeditionary aviation platforms, demonstrating specialized knowledge in defense systems integration and technical specification development.