Kristen Williams

Kristen Williams serves as a key procurement professional within the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (N61340), supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to modernize and sustain advanced aviation training systems. She manages acquisitions for mission-critical simulation technologies, immersive training environments, and integrated avionics infrastructure essential to pilot and aircrew readiness. Her portfolio focuses on complex systems integration, curriculum-enabled training platforms, and engineering services that bridge operational requirements with cutting-edge simulation capabilities. Williams ensures alignment between acquisition strategy and naval aviation training modernization priorities, overseeing contracts that deliver scalable, secure, and interoperable training solutions across naval air stations and fleet training centers. Her primary contractor relationships are anchored with STRACON SERVICES GROUP, LLC and FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL INC, both of which provide high-fidelity flight simulators, synthetic training environments, and mission-specific avionics support. These partnerships reflect a preference for established industry leaders with proven expertise in defense-grade training systems, though she also engages a broader base of niche vendors for specialized technical services. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, rigorous test and evaluation protocols, and lifecycle sustainment planning to ensure long-term operational effectiveness. Williams demonstrates a strong preference for open competition, with 83.3% of her acquisitions conducted without set-asides, reflecting the technical complexity and specialized nature of the systems procured. However, she consistently allocates 16.7% of opportunities to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, supporting qualified small businesses capable of delivering tailored software, engineering, and simulation services. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS 511210 (Software Publishers) and 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), underscoring her expertise in software-defined training systems, data-driven analytics, and simulation middleware. She also frequently procures engineering services (NAICS 541330) and specialized environmental control systems (NAICS 334512) to support trainer platform integration, demonstrating a multidisciplinary command over the technical domains critical to next-generation naval aviation training.