Kimberly K Atkinson

Kimberly K. Atkinson serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she leads the acquisition of advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She manages complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her portfolio supports mission-critical innovation by bridging fundamental scientific research with operational capability development, ensuring timely delivery of cutting-edge solutions to the Department of Defense. Atkinson specializes in full and open competitive acquisitions under cost-reimbursement and fixed-price incentive structures, often involving long-term, multi-phase R&D programs requiring rigorous technical oversight and performance-based management. She maintains strategic relationships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC, partnering with firms possessing deep expertise in propulsion systems, aerodynamics, composite materials, and flight control software. These contractors are selected for their proven capabilities in high-risk, high-reward technical domains, and Atkinson fosters collaborative, performance-driven contracting environments that emphasize innovation, technical rigor, and schedule adherence. Her procurement approach prioritizes technical excellence and risk mitigation over socioeconomic preferences, reflecting the urgency and complexity of the mission. Atkinson’s contracting activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards conducted under full and open competition. She does not utilize 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic set-asides, aligning with the specialized nature of the work and the limited pool of qualified vendors capable of meeting the technical demands of hypersonics and advanced propulsion research. Her primary procurement focus is NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing advanced materials development, propulsion system integration, computational fluid dynamics, and adaptive flight control technologies. She routinely procures engineering services, prototype development, and test and evaluation support from firms with specialized laboratories and defense-qualified manufacturing capabilities.