Margaret A Graves

Margaret A. Graves serves as a Contracting Officer within the Contract Administration Services Division (70RCAS) of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of professional, scientific, and technical service acquisitions critical to national security, including systems engineering, cybersecurity, and advanced instrumentation development. Her responsibilities encompass solicitation design, source selection, contract award, and post-award administration, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and alignment with DHS operational readiness goals. She specializes in complex, high-stakes procurements that support research and development in physical and engineering sciences, with a focus on delivering mission-critical capabilities to frontline DHS components. Graves collaborates with a diverse range of contractors, including established engineering and technical consulting firms, specialized manufacturers of precision measurement and control devices, and information technology service providers. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with vendors possessing demonstrated technical expertise in systems integration, scientific instrumentation, and mission-critical software development. Her working relationships are characterized by rigorous performance monitoring, clear communication of technical requirements, and a focus on accountability and deliverable outcomes. Margaret Graves does not utilize socioeconomic set-asides; 100% of her acquisitions are competed full and open. This reflects a strategic emphasis on maximizing technical capability and competition among qualified firms rather than socioeconomic preference, aligning with mission-critical needs where specialized expertise takes precedence over certification-based targeting. Her procurement focus is concentrated in four key NAICS categories: Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Engineering Services (541330), and Other Telecommunications (517919). She routinely procures advanced sensors, embedded control systems, cybersecurity analytics platforms, and specialized engineering support services, demonstrating deep expertise in technical domains requiring precision, reliability, and national security compliance.