Matthew A. Gilliard

Matthew A. Gilliard serves as a Contract Specialist within the 693JJ3 Acquisition and Grants Management unit of the Federal Highway Administration, where he plays a pivotal role in executing complex procurements that support the nation’s transportation infrastructure modernization. He manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions for engineering services, transportation research, and operational consulting, ensuring compliance with federal regulations while aligning procurements with the agency’s mission of data-driven infrastructure innovation. His work directly enables the deployment of advanced engineering solutions, safety analyses, and geospatial technologies critical to highway system resilience and performance. Gilliard maintains longstanding relationships with key contractors including K & M Transportation Services LLC and the University of California, Los Angeles, reflecting a balanced portfolio of private-sector engineering firms and academic research institutions. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, often utilizing indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) and cost-reimbursement mechanisms to support long-term, technically complex projects. He fosters collaborative partnerships with vendors capable of delivering specialized technical expertise in transportation systems analysis and field data collection. His procurement patterns show a strong preference for open competition, with 90% of awards issued under no set-aside conditions, while maintaining a consistent 10% commitment to 8(a) competed contracts. This reflects a strategic balance between maximizing technical capability and supporting small business participation through targeted socioeconomic opportunities, without compromising mission-critical requirements. Gilliard’s primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), followed by 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services) and 541360 (Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services), underscoring his expertise in acquiring technical services for pavement analysis, traffic modeling, and geospatial data collection. He also procures marketing consulting services (NAICS 541613) to support public outreach initiatives tied to infrastructure projects, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of both technical and communicative domains within transportation procurement.