Mary Kiss

Mary Kiss serves as Lead Contracting Officer, overseeing the full lifecycle of complex defense and aerospace acquisitions within a mission-critical federal program. She is responsible for developing solicitation strategies, evaluating proposals, negotiating contract terms, and ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations, particularly in high-tech, national security-related procurements. Her role is central to delivering advanced space and missile systems capabilities, managing both competitive and sole-source actions under stringent technical and security requirements. She specializes in acquisitions involving guided missile components, space vehicle subsystems, and auxiliary equipment requiring rigorous engineering validation and supply chain integrity. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, Mary Kiss maintains a robust network of qualified vendors with proven expertise in aerospace manufacturing and defense systems integration. She fosters collaborative relationships with prime contractors possessing specialized technical capabilities in propulsion, guidance systems, and avionics, while actively encouraging subcontracting opportunities for niche suppliers with niche certifications. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, risk mitigation, and rigorous source selection under FAR Part 15 procedures. Mary Kiss demonstrates an unwavering commitment to small business participation, directing 100% of her acquisitions toward total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to cultivate innovation and capacity within the small business industrial base, ensuring equitable access to high-value defense contracts. She consistently prioritizes small businesses with relevant technical experience, promoting economic resilience and workforce development in the aerospace sector. Her procurement focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 336419—Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing. She procures specialized components including guidance systems, warhead interfaces, telemetry units, and flight control subsystems, requiring deep technical understanding of defense standards such as MIL-STD and AS9100. Her expertise lies in managing technically complex, low-volume, high-reliability acquisitions critical to national defense space and missile programs.