Kelli Staggs

Kelli Staggs serves as a key procurement professional within the Missile Defense Agency, supporting the acquisition of advanced missile defense systems and associated research and development capabilities. She plays a critical role in executing the MDA’s mission to field layered, integrated defenses against ballistic missile threats by managing complex technical contracts for sensor modernization, guidance systems, and midcourse and terminal-phase interception technologies. Her procurement activities are centered on high-stakes, mission-critical R&D initiatives that require close collaboration with engineering teams and program managers to ensure technical compliance, schedule adherence, and operational readiness. Staggs maintains consistent working relationships with leading defense prime contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, which provide core system integration, radar development, and interceptor hardware. She also engages Jacobs Technology Inc. for technical support services and systems engineering. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for long-term, performance-based partnerships with large defense primes capable of delivering integrated, multi-domain solutions under stringent security and technical requirements. Staggs’ procurement portfolio exhibits no set-aside preferences, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects the highly specialized, classified, and technologically advanced nature of MDA’s mission, which typically requires the scale, security clearances, and systems integration expertise only available through large defense contractors with proven track records in national security programs. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing advanced radar architectures, kinetic and non-kinetic interceptors, battle management software, and sensor fusion technologies. She specializes in acquiring cutting-edge defense R&D services that support the evolution of the U.S. ballistic missile defense architecture, with deep expertise in engineering systems requiring rigorous testing and operational validation.