Khadijah Dark

Khadijah Dark supports the Science and Technology Acquisition Division within the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex scientific and technical acquisitions critical to national security. She manages the end-to-end procurement lifecycle for high-priority R&D initiatives, focusing on engineering services, physical sciences research, and advanced detection systems. Her work directly enables the development of next-generation capabilities in cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, and aerospace technologies, ensuring alignment with DHS’s mission to safeguard the homeland through innovation-driven acquisition strategies. Khadijah maintains a strategic procurement relationship with Microsoft Corporation, reflecting a consistent reliance on enterprise-scale technology solutions for mission-critical systems. Her contracting patterns emphasize partnerships with large, established contractors possessing deep technical expertise in software integration, systems engineering, and advanced analytics. While she engages primarily with prime contractors of significant scale, her approach prioritizes performance, scalability, and interoperability over socioeconomic set-asides, aligning with the division’s focus on mission readiness and technological superiority. Her procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a deliberate strategy to maximize access to the broadest pool of qualified technical talent and proven capabilities, prioritizing mission outcomes over socioeconomic preferences. There is no indication of targeted use of 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other small business programs, underscoring a focus on technical merit and system performance as the primary selection criteria. Her primary NAICS focus areas—541330 (Engineering Services) and 541715 (R&D in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences)—reveal deep specialization in systems engineering, sensor development, and applied research. She also procures aircraft manufacturing services (336411) and technical consulting (541690), indicating a multidisciplinary approach to acquiring integrated defense technologies. Her expertise lies in securing advanced engineering solutions for detection, surveillance, and secure communications systems critical to homeland security operations.