Kimberly Rhoads

Kimberly Rhoads serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She specializes in negotiating complex research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate innovation by bridging cutting-edge scientific research with practical defense applications, ensuring timely and compliant procurement of mission-critical capabilities from industry partners. Rhoads maintains consistent, long-term relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, with vendors providing specialized expertise in propulsion system integration, adaptive flight controls, and advanced composite manufacturing. Her negotiation approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical risk mitigation, and alignment with DoD acquisition regulations, fostering trust and sustained engagement with high-caliber prime contractors. Rhoads’ contracting portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on accessing the most technically capable and experienced industry players, regardless of socioeconomic classification. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through set-asides, her procurement decisions are driven by technical merit and mission need, ensuring optimal outcomes for national defense objectives. Her primary procurement focus lies within NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)—where she acquires advanced engineering services, materials characterization, propulsion system prototyping, and computational fluid dynamics modeling. Her domain expertise spans hypersonics, jet engine efficiency enhancement, and high-temperature material systems, making her a key liaison between government scientists and industrial R&D teams advancing the future of aerospace propulsion.