Kimberly D. Warren

Kimberly D. Warren serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she manages complex research and development acquisitions critical to advancing U.S. air and space dominance. Her portfolio focuses on next-generation aerospace propulsion systems, hypersonics, adaptive flight control technologies, and high-performance functional materials. She plays a pivotal role in executing full and open competitions under FAR Part 15, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while accelerating the transition of innovative technologies from lab to field. Her acquisitions typically involve cost-reimbursement contracts, basic ordering agreements, and other flexible instruments suited for high-risk, high-reward R&D environments. Warren maintains longstanding 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, sustained performance under multi-year task orders, and frequent use of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) mechanisms to support evolving mission needs. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical merit, innovation readiness, and programmatic agility, fostering trusted vendor relationships built on consistent communication and rigorous performance oversight. Warren’s procurement portfolio is entirely open to full and open competition, with no set-asides designated for 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic categories. This reflects the highly specialized, mission-critical nature of the work she oversees, where technical expertise and proven capability in advanced propulsion and materials science take precedence over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is not formally structured in her awards, she actively encourages qualified small firms to compete through open solicitations and industry days. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), with significant activity in propulsion system design, computational fluid dynamics, composite material development, and hypersonic thermal protection systems. She routinely procures advanced engineering services, prototype fabrication, and systems integration support for classified and unclassified aerospace programs, demonstrating deep expertise in technical domains critical to national defense.