Lattia Baker

Lattia Baker serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contract Administration Services Division (70RCAS) of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex acquisitions that support national security and operational readiness. She specializes in the procurement of professional, scientific, and technical services critical to advancing research and development in physical and engineering sciences. Her portfolio centers on contracts that enhance systems integrity, cybersecurity infrastructure, and advanced engineering capabilities, ensuring the agency maintains technical superiority across its mission-critical programs. Baker manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—leveraging sound contracting practices aligned with FAR and DHS procurement policies. While no specific contractor relationships are identified in current data, Baker routinely engages with a broad spectrum of qualified vendors, including prime contractors with deep expertise in systems engineering, computational modeling, and applied physics research. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical merit, and vendor capability over cost alone, fostering long-term partnerships with firms capable of delivering high-complexity, mission-aligned solutions under stringent security and compliance requirements. Baker’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions designated as non-set-aside. This indicates a focus on selecting the most technically capable providers regardless of socioeconomic status, consistent with the agency’s need for specialized, mission-critical expertise that may be available only from a limited pool of highly qualified entities. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)—reflecting deep expertise in procuring advanced scientific services such as materials testing, sensor development, computational simulations, and engineering analysis. She routinely supports projects requiring specialized knowledge in electromagnetic systems, structural dynamics, and secure communications infrastructure, ensuring DHS maintains cutting-edge capabilities in physical and cyber-physical domains.