Maria Diaz-Sotomayor

Maria Diaz-Sotomayor serves as the primary contracting professional at Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, where she leads the acquisition of advanced maritime systems critical to naval dominance in undersea, surface, and aerial domains. She manages complex procurements for sensor technologies, electronic warfare components, and integrated communication systems, ensuring alignment with the Navy’s RDT&E mission. Her portfolio emphasizes technical innovation and operational readiness, requiring deep engagement with specialized vendors to deliver mission-critical capabilities under strict defense acquisition protocols. She maintains strategic partnerships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including Science Applications International Corporation, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, and Astronics Test Systems Inc., fostering long-term collaborations on high-precision instrumentation and system integration. Her contracting approach prioritizes technical excellence and performance-based outcomes, often engaging firms with proven expertise in naval-grade electronics, test instrumentation, and embedded software solutions. These relationships are built on rigorous compliance with DoD standards and sustained technical collaboration throughout the lifecycle of each acquisition. Diaz-Sotomayor demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with over 62% of her awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. She consistently prioritizes small business participation across multiple categories, including SBA-certified 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB firms, ensuring broad industry engagement and innovation infusion from niche providers. Her procurement patterns reflect a deliberate strategy to strengthen the defense industrial base by empowering capable small entities with specialized technical capabilities. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Electronic Connector Manufacturing (334417), and Software Publishers (513210), underscoring her expertise in procuring high-reliability electronic systems, signal processing hardware, and mission-critical software. She specializes in acquiring ruggedized sensors, navigation subsystems, and integrated test environments essential for undersea warfare platforms and naval electronic systems.