Melinda Havens

Melinda Havens serves as a primary contracting professional at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock (N00167), where she plays a pivotal role in advancing the Department of the Navy’s maritime technology objectives through strategic procurement of specialized engineering and sensing systems. She manages complex acquisitions aligned with the center’s mission to enhance naval vessel performance, signature management, and underwater platform survivability. Her portfolio primarily encompasses the acquisition of advanced measuring and controlling devices, as well as engineering services supporting hydrodynamic research, propulsion optimization, and sensor integration for naval platforms. Havens ensures procurement activities align with technical requirements while maintaining strict compliance with federal acquisition regulations and defense acquisition protocols. She maintains consistent, long-term relationships with key industry partners including BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Goodrich Corp., Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, CB Design & Huitt Zollars Joint Venture, LLC, and Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Inc. These partnerships reflect a preference for established defense contractors with proven expertise in naval systems integration, precision instrumentation, and mechanical testing. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor and performance-based outcomes, often requiring contractors to demonstrate prior experience in classified maritime environments and compliance with naval engineering standards. Havens’ procurement activity is exclusively classified under no set-aside categories, indicating a focus on full and open competition without socioeconomic preferences. This reflects the specialized, mission-critical nature of the technologies acquired, where technical capability and operational readiness take precedence over socioeconomic targeting. While small business participation is not formally prioritized, her awards remain open to all qualified vendors capable of meeting stringent defense performance criteria. Her primary NAICS focus is on 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing), reflecting deep procurement expertise in advanced sensors, data acquisition systems, and hydrodynamic instrumentation. Complementing this, she frequently procures engineering services under 541330 to support design, analysis, and testing of naval systems. Her domain expertise lies at the intersection of mechanical engineering, signature reduction technologies, and underwater acoustics, ensuring acquisitions directly enable the Navy’s next-generation surface and subsurface capabilities.