Nicole Gordon

Nicole Gordon serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions, from requirements definition through contract award and administration. She plays a critical role in advancing the agency’s mission by ensuring compliant, efficient, and transparent procurement processes for high-value scientific and technical services. Her portfolio primarily centers on research and development contracts in the physical, engineering, and life sciences, where she leverages deep expertise in FAR and agency-specific regulations to structure complex, performance-based acquisitions that align with evolving scientific priorities. Nicole collaborates with a broad spectrum of contractors, including national laboratories, university-affiliated research centers, and private-sector R&D firms specializing in advanced scientific instrumentation, data analytics, and experimental methodology. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with vendors possessing demonstrated technical capabilities in laboratory operations, computational modeling, and engineering prototyping. Her approach emphasizes competitive solicitation, clear performance metrics, and rigorous contractor performance evaluations to ensure accountability and mission success. Nicole’s procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-aside designations. This indicates a focus on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic classifications, aligning with missions requiring specialized expertise not always available within small business pools. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her process remains fully compliant with all socioeconomic reporting requirements and emphasizes fair and open competition as the primary mechanism for securing best-value solutions. Her primary NAICS code focus—541712—reflects deep specialization in scientific R&D services, including laboratory testing, engineering analysis, and applied research in physics, chemistry, and materials science. She routinely procures technical services such as computational simulations, experimental design, data interpretation, and prototype development, demonstrating expertise in evaluating scientific proposals and ensuring contract deliverables meet rigorous technical and regulatory standards.