Maureen Grandon

Maureen Grandon serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She specializes in negotiating complex research and development contracts for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate innovation in adaptive flight control, thermal management systems, and advanced manufacturing processes by ensuring technically robust, compliant, and cost-effective procurement outcomes. Grandon handles primarily non-commercial, R&D-focused acquisitions under FAR Part 35 and other specialized defense contracting authorities. She maintains enduring partnerships with leading aerospace and engineering firms including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, iterative contract modifications, and performance-based acquisition strategies that align contractor capabilities with the laboratory’s evolving R&D roadmaps. Grandon’s negotiation approach emphasizes risk-sharing, technical milestone alignment, and intellectual property protections, fostering long-term vendor engagement in high-stakes, mission-critical programs. Globally, Grandon’s portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without socioeconomic set-asides. This reflects the highly specialized nature of the technologies procured, where only a limited pool of qualified vendors possesses the requisite engineering expertise, security clearances, and facilities to meet classified and sensitive propulsion requirements. While small business participation is not structurally prioritized, she ensures all vendors—regardless of size—are evaluated on technical merit and mission readiness. Her primary procurement focus is squarely on NAICS 541712, encompassing physical and engineering research and development. She consistently acquires advanced materials, computational fluid dynamics modeling, combustion system prototypes, and high-temperature composite structures, demonstrating deep domain expertise in aerospace propulsion systems and hypersonics. Her work bridges the gap between laboratory innovation and operational deployment, ensuring that cutting-edge research translates into viable, field-ready capabilities.