Kathleen Y. Sears

Kathleen Y. Sears serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of professional services acquisitions, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations and alignment with agency mission objectives. She specializes in soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts for technical and research-based services, with a focus on delivering high-value, mission-critical solutions through competitive and transparent processes. Her work supports the acquisition of specialized expertise in areas ranging from custom software development to social science research, ensuring that procurements are structured to meet evolving operational needs while adhering to statutory requirements under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. While specific contractor names are not available, Kathleen consistently engages with a diverse pool of vendors offering professional, scientific, and technical services, including firms specializing in custom computer programming and social science research. Her procurement approach emphasizes open competition and merit-based selection, fostering relationships with both large-capability providers and small businesses that demonstrate technical proficiency and past performance in niche domains. She maintains a balanced, risk-aware contracting posture, prioritizing vendor reliability and compliance over sole-source or non-competitive pathways. Kathleen’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for unrestricted, full-and-open competitions, with 100% of her awards issued under the “No Set-Aside” category. This indicates a deliberate focus on selecting the most qualified offerors regardless of socioeconomic status, rather than reserving awards for 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs. While she does not prioritize set-asides, her processes remain fully compliant with small business goals and encourage participation through open solicitation practices. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), with significant activity in custom computer programming (541511) and social science research (541720). She regularly acquires services such as software development, data analytics, policy research, and technical consulting, demonstrating deep familiarity with the technical and operational requirements of these domains. Her expertise ensures that acquisitions are structured to support innovation, rigorous methodology, and measurable outcomes in complex, knowledge-intensive environments.