Lia Roper

Lia Roper serves as a Contract Specialist within the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where she plays a critical role in executing the lifecycle acquisition of naval aviation systems. Responsible for soliciting, negotiating, and administering complex contracts, she supports the procurement of advanced aircraft, avionics, and missile systems essential to maintaining U.S. naval air superiority. Her work spans the full acquisition lifecycle—from requirements validation through contract closeout—ensuring compliance with federal regulations and NAVAIR’s strategic modernization goals. She primarily handles sole-source and competitive acquisitions for high-technology defense platforms, with a focus on engineering services and manufacturing contracts aligned with fleet readiness and technological innovation. Roper maintains consistent procurement relationships with leading defense prime contractors, including Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and General Atomics. These partnerships center on the development, integration, and sustainment of carrier-based and expeditionary aviation systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles, guided weapons, and mission-critical avionics. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, performance-based outcomes, and technical risk mitigation, ensuring alignment with NAVAIR’s operational priorities and systems engineering standards. Roper’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a focus on maximizing technical capability and industrial base readiness over socioeconomic set-asides, though she remains compliant with all small business participation requirements as part of broader DoD reporting obligations. Her approach prioritizes mission-critical performance over socioeconomic categorization, aligning with NAVAIR’s emphasis on technological superiority. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Engineering Services (541330), and Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414). She routinely procures complex systems such as rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft platforms, radar and electronic warfare systems, and integrated logistics support solutions, demonstrating deep expertise in aerospace defense procurement and systems integration.