Nicole Claytor

Nicole Claytor serves as a key procurement professional within the Missile Defense Agency, supporting the acquisition of advanced missile defense systems critical to national security. She manages complex contracts for sensor modernization, guided weapon integration, and midcourse and terminal-phase interception technologies, aligning acquisitions with MDA’s layered defense strategy. Her work ensures timely delivery of cutting-edge capabilities across all phases of missile flight, from early warning radar systems to kinetic kill vehicles. Claytor operates within a high-stakes technical environment, coordinating with engineering and operational teams to translate mission requirements into enforceable contract statements of work that meet rigorous performance, reliability, and interoperability standards. Her primary contractor relationships are with industry leaders in aerospace and defense systems integration, including Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, which serve as prime contractors for major development and fielding programs. She also engages Jacobs Technology Inc. for systems engineering, test, and evaluation support. These partnerships reflect a preference for established defense primes with proven track records in classified, high-technology environments, often involving multi-year, performance-based acquisition strategies and cost-reimbursement contract types. Claytor’s procurement portfolio shows no use of socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects the highly specialized nature of missile defense technologies, where only a limited number of firms possess the required clearances, technical expertise, and infrastructure to meet mission-critical performance standards. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, the structure of her contracts often enables subcontracting opportunities through tiered supplier networks. Her procurement focus is exclusively within NAICS 334511, encompassing the design, development, and manufacturing of advanced radar, guidance, navigation, and missile interception systems. She specializes in procuring sovereign technologies including infrared seekers, hit-to-kill interceptors, battle management command systems, and space-based sensors, requiring deep domain expertise in defense electronics, signal processing, and hypersonic threat countermeasures.