Laina J Ouellette

Laina J. Ouellette serves as a Contract Negotiator at Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing the Department of the Navy’s mission to develop and field cutting-edge maritime warfare systems. She specializes in negotiating complex contracts for advanced sensor technologies, electronic warfare components, and integrated communication systems critical to undersea, surface, and aerial domain superiority. Her work ensures timely acquisition of mission-critical capabilities while maintaining compliance with federal procurement regulations and technical performance standards. Ouellette routinely manages solicitations and award processes for high-precision hardware, test equipment, and engineering services supporting naval RDT&E programs. She maintains strong, long-term relationships with key contractors including Science Applications International Corporation, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, Astronics Test Systems Inc, Serco Inc, and Mikel Inc. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in defense-grade electronics, test and evaluation infrastructure, and systems integration. Ouellette collaborates closely with industry partners to align technical deliverables with operational requirements, often engaging in early contractor involvement to refine specifications and mitigate technical risk. Her contracting patterns show a strong preference for unrestricted competitions, with 77.5% of awards issued without set-asides, reflecting the specialized nature of NUWC’s technical needs. Nevertheless, she consistently supports small business participation, with 22.4% of awards directed under Total Small Business Set-Asides, demonstrating a balanced commitment to both mission readiness and socioeconomic goals. Ouellette’s procurement focus centers on NAICS 334511 for navigation and sensor systems, NAICS 332710 for precision machine shop services, and NAICS 541380 for testing and calibration laboratories. She frequently procures electronic connectors, embedded systems, and engineering services essential to sonar, radar, and undersea communication platforms, reflecting deep technical familiarity with naval electronic warfare and maritime surveillance domains.