Mr. Paul Baker

Mr. Paul Baker serves as a key procurement lead within the Kessel Run organization under the Department of the Air Force, supporting the rapid development and fielding of mission-critical software and digital systems for air and space operations. He manages acquisitions centered on DevSecOps, cloud-native architectures, and secure digital platforms, with a focus on accelerating the delivery of capabilities such as the Aerospace Readiness Enterprise System (ARES). His role is pivotal in translating operational requirements into contract vehicles that enable agile, iterative software delivery, ensuring alignment with Air Force modernization priorities and DoD digital transformation directives. Baker maintains a primary working relationship with THE BOEING COMPANY, engaging them as a prime contractor for large-scale software integration and systems engineering efforts. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and continuous delivery models, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors capable of scaling DevSecOps pipelines and supporting secure cloud environments. While Boeing is the dominant contractor, his portfolio reflects a preference for established defense aerospace primes with proven experience in rapid software deployment and mission-critical system integration. Baker’s acquisition portfolio exhibits no set-aside preferences, with 100% of contracts awarded under open competition. This reflects Kessel Run’s operational urgency and technical complexity, which often require specialized capabilities only available through large, experienced industry partners with mature cybersecurity and enterprise-scale development infrastructures. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in his portfolio, the structure of his contracts does not preclude subcontracting opportunities for qualified firms. His procurement focus is exclusively under NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services), encompassing software development, systems integration, cloud infrastructure design, and automated testing frameworks. He procures services that support continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), containerized applications, and secure DevSecOps toolchains—demanding deep expertise in agile methodologies, DoD cybersecurity standards, and cloud-native environments such as AWS GovCloud and Azure Government.