Laurel Prescott

Laurel Prescott 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 for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge engineering solutions from lab to field, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities through strategic contract execution and risk-managed procurement practices. Prescott maintains consistent, high-impact relationships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships reflect a focus on prime contractors with deep expertise in aerospace systems integration, propulsion engineering, and advanced materials manufacturing. Her negotiation approach emphasizes technical alignment, performance-based outcomes, and long-term collaboration, fostering trust with vendors capable of delivering high-risk, high-reward R&D solutions under stringent government specifications. Prescott’s procurement portfolio is entirely classified under “No Set-Aside,” indicating a strategic emphasis on full and open competition to access the broadest pool of technical capability. While she does not prioritize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate focus on mission-critical performance over socioeconomic preferences, ensuring that the most technically qualified entities are selected based on merit and capability. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences) and 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing), reflecting deep engagement in propulsion system design, adaptive flight control architectures, and advanced composite material development. She routinely procures high-fidelity simulation tools, prototype propulsion test hardware, and flight-ready components for hypersonic and turbofan platforms, demonstrating specialized expertise in aerospace systems engineering and materials science procurement.