Nancy Keys

Nancy Keys serves as a Contracting Officer at the Naval Air Warfare Center Air Division, where she manages the acquisition of critical engineering and technical services essential to the development, testing, and sustainment of advanced naval aviation systems. Her portfolio centers on mission-critical avionics, electronic warfare subsystems, and integrated sensor suites for next-generation aircraft platforms. As a key liaison between technical stakeholders and industry partners, she ensures compliance with Department of Defense procurement regulations while delivering timely, high-performance solutions that enhance fleet readiness and air superiority. Her acquisitions are predominantly performance-based, requiring rigorous technical evaluation and systems integration expertise. Nancy maintains long-standing relationships with leading defense contractors including SABRE SYSTEMS, LLC, THE BOEING COMPANY, SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, SYSTEMS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS, INC., and ONTIC ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING, INC. These partnerships are characterized by sustained contract performance, deep technical collaboration, and iterative development cycles aligned with evolving naval aviation requirements. She frequently engages firms with proven capability in systems engineering, software-defined radio integration, and airborne mission system modernization, fostering a procurement environment grounded in technical excellence and accountability. Nancy’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. She does not routinely utilize socioeconomic programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead prioritizing technical capability and mission-critical delivery over socioeconomic criteria. This approach underscores her focus on mission outcomes and the specialized nature of the systems she procures, where only a limited pool of qualified vendors can meet stringent performance standards. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), encompassing systems engineering, avionics integration, test and evaluation, and mission software development. She procures end-to-end engineering solutions for airborne sensor suites, communications architectures, and electronic attack systems, requiring deep domain expertise in military aerospace standards and defense acquisition lifecycle management.