Maria Hayes

Maria Hayes serves as a Contracts Specialist at Washington Headquarters Services, supporting the Department of Defense’s mission to modernize institutional management systems and enhance enterprise-wide operational efficiency. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions for mission-critical administrative and technical services, ensuring compliance with FAR and DFARS regulations. Her portfolio primarily includes complex acquisitions in information technology, digital transformation initiatives, and infrastructure support services, with a focus on delivering scalable, secure, and interoperable solutions across DoD components. Hayes works closely with program managers and acquisition teams to align contracting strategies with strategic priorities in enterprise resource optimization and systems modernization. She maintains established relationships with key contractors including Clarity Innovations LLC, Cynergy Professional Systems LLC, Signature Renovations LLC, AMD International Technologies LLC, and Guidehouse Inc., reflecting a balanced mix of large-capability firms and specialized service providers. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, clear statement of work development, and long-term vendor collaboration to ensure mission continuity and innovation. These partnerships are typically structured under indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) and multiple-award contracts to enable responsive, agile procurement. Hayes demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with approximately half of her portfolio allocated to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a deliberate strategy to expand opportunities for small businesses across the defense ecosystem. While no set-aside remains equally prevalent, her consistent use of small business set-asides underscores a proactive effort to foster competition and diversify the supplier base in alignment with DoD goals. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS codes 511210 (Software Publishers), 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), and 423430 (Computer and Peripheral Equipment Wholesalers), indicating deep expertise in software development, IT consulting, and technology distribution. She routinely procures custom software solutions, cloud-enabled services, cybersecurity tools, and integrated IT infrastructure, demonstrating technical fluency in digital transformation and enterprise systems modernization.