Melissa Saenz

Melissa Saenz serves as a Contract Specialist with the W6QM Micc-Yuma Proving Ground under the Department of the Army, where she manages the acquisition of specialized engineering and technical services critical to military test and evaluation operations. Her portfolio centers on sustaining advanced instrumentation, aerospace systems, and battlefield communication equipment, ensuring the reliability and precision of defense testing infrastructure. She oversees the full lifecycle of contracts—from market research and solicitation to award and closeout—focusing on performance-based requirements that align with the agency’s mission to validate next-generation defense technologies. Saenz routinely handles complex, high-stakes procurements requiring stringent technical compliance and rapid turnaround to support operational readiness cycles. She maintains a primary working relationship with TRAX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, a trusted partner in delivering test range support, data acquisition systems, and mission-critical maintenance services. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, leveraging proven technical capabilities and established performance histories to mitigate risk in high-consequence environments. While she engages with a range of qualified contractors, her pattern reflects a preference for experienced, mission-aligned firms with demonstrated expertise in defense instrumentation and systems integration. Saenz’s contracting activity is overwhelmingly non-set-aside, with 87.8% of awards issued under full and open competition, reflecting the specialized nature of the requirements and the limited pool of qualified vendors. However, she consistently allocates 12.2% of opportunities to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to fostering small business participation where technical capabilities permit. Her primary NAICS focus includes 811219 (Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Repair), 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing), and 488190 (Other Support Activities for Air Transportation), underscoring her expertise in procuring precision test equipment, calibration systems, and airfield support services. She frequently acquires custom-engineered sensors, data loggers, and maintenance solutions tailored to proving ground operations, reflecting deep technical fluency in defense instrumentation and field-deployable measurement systems.