Malika Harris

Malika Harris serves as a Contracting Officer 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 mission-critical acquisitions that support national security and operational readiness. She manages the full lifecycle of professional, scientific, and technical service contracts, with a primary focus on research and development in physical and engineering sciences, as well as specialized engineering services. Her work ensures the acquisition of advanced capabilities in systems engineering, cybersecurity infrastructure, and applied research that directly enhance DHS’s technological resilience and scientific innovation capacity. Malika collaborates with a diverse array of contractors, including large prime firms with deep expertise in defense and federal R&D, as well as mid-tier engineering and technical service providers. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, clear statement of work development, and rigorous contractor performance evaluation. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages vendors with proven track records in delivering high-integrity, mission-aligned solutions under complex federal compliance frameworks. Malika’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued as non-set-aside procurements. This underscores her focus on selecting the most technically capable and cost-effective solutions regardless of socioeconomic status, while still ensuring full compliance with all applicable small business regulations. She does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, but remains committed to fair and transparent competition that prioritizes mission outcomes over socioeconomic categorization. Her primary NAICS focus is 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—accounting for two-thirds of her portfolio, complemented by 541330—Engineering Services. She routinely procures advanced technical services including systems modeling, sensor development, cybersecurity architecture design, and physical science experimentation, demonstrating deep domain expertise in engineering innovation and applied R&D critical to homeland security operations.