Lauren McMinn

Lauren McMinn serves as a key procurement professional within the Missile Defense Agency, supporting the acquisition of advanced missile defense systems and enabling the agency’s mission to develop layered, integrated defenses against ballistic missile threats. She manages complex research and development contracts focused on sensor modernization, midcourse and terminal-phase interception technologies, and guided weapon system integration. Her work ensures timely delivery of cutting-edge capabilities critical to national and allied security, aligning procurement strategy with MDA’s technical priorities and operational timelines. McMinn maintains consistent, high-impact relationships with prime contractors including Lockheed Martin Corporation and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, who deliver core missile defense hardware, software, and systems integration services. She also collaborates with Jacobs Technology Inc. for engineering, test, and analytical support. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term partnerships with industry leaders possessing deep technical expertise in hypersonics, radar architectures, and battle management command and control systems, ensuring mission-critical performance and interoperability across defense domains. McMinn’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This underscores a strategic commitment to accessing the broadest possible pool of qualified vendors capable of meeting the extreme technical demands of missile defense systems. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through socioeconomic set-asides, her contracting decisions are driven by technical merit, capability readiness, and mission necessity. Her primary procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her specialization in advanced engineering R&D for defense applications. She procures high-fidelity simulation tools, kinetic and non-kinetic interceptors, sensor fusion algorithms, and real-time data processing systems, requiring deep domain expertise in aerospace engineering, electromagnetics, and systems-of-systems integration.