Kerry Payne (Contract Specialist)

Kerry Payne serves as a Contract Specialist within Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA HQ), supporting the acquisition and lifecycle management of naval vessels and mission-critical maritime systems. Responsible for executing full-cycle contracting actions under FAR and NAVAIR regulations, Payne ensures compliance with statutory requirements while advancing NAVSEA’s mission to sustain and modernize the U.S. Navy’s fleet. Their portfolio primarily encompasses shipbuilding and repair contracts, focusing on the integration of advanced propulsion, combat systems, and hull structural components essential to fleet readiness and technological superiority. Payne maintains strategic relationships with leading shipbuilders and defense contractors, including Damen Shipbuilding & Cooperation B.V., Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, G.S.E. Dynamics, Inc., and Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established industry leaders with proven capabilities in naval architecture, systems integration, and complex engineering services. The contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, risk mitigation, and long-term sustainment planning, often involving multi-year delivery orders and cost-reimbursement structures to accommodate technical complexity. While the majority of procurements are conducted as unrestricted actions, Payne consistently allocates approximately one-third of contract opportunities as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to expanding small business participation in the naval industrial base. There is no evidence of reliance on 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, indicating a focus on broad small business eligibility rather than targeted socioeconomic programs. The sole NAICS classification in Payne’s portfolio is 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), underscoring deep specialization in naval surface vessel construction, dry-dock modernization, and hull-form upgrades. Procurements center on steel fabrication, welding standards, naval propulsion systems, and shipboard electrical infrastructure, requiring expertise in MIL-SPEC compliance, naval engineering standards, and defense acquisition reform initiatives.