Khadijah A. Dark

Khadijah A. Dark serves as a Contract Specialist at the U.S. Census Bureau, where she plays a pivotal role in executing acquisitions that support the agency’s mission to modernize data collection and dissemination systems for the 2030 Decennial Census and ongoing statistical surveys. She manages the full lifecycle of procurements—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and alignment with the Bureau’s strategic priorities in digital transformation and data infrastructure. Her acquisitions primarily support technical services critical to census operations, including software development, systems integration, and analytical tooling. Khadijah collaborates with a diverse range of contractors specializing in custom software development, systems design, and IT hardware distribution. While no single vendor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven expertise in scalable, secure, and interoperable data platforms. Her working relationships emphasize performance-based outcomes, technical agility, and adherence to federal data privacy and cybersecurity standards, fostering partnerships that deliver mission-critical capabilities under tight operational timelines. Her procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic categorization. This approach prioritizes access to the broadest pool of qualified vendors to meet the Bureau’s complex, high-stakes technical requirements. Khadijah’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services) and 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services), reflecting her specialization in bespoke software solutions for census operations. She also regularly procures services under 423430 for IT hardware and software distribution and 624410 for child care services supporting workforce continuity during field operations. Her domain expertise centers on data infrastructure, geospatial systems, and digital survey platforms essential to modernizing the nation’s statistical enterprise.