Nicole Jackson-Heard

Nicole Jackson-Heard serves as a key procurement professional at Norfolk Naval Shipyard Gf, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to sustain and modernize critical naval vessels through industrial and technical services. She manages a specialized portfolio of acquisitions centered on testing, inspection, and engineering support services essential to maintaining fleet readiness. Her work ensures compliance with stringent naval standards by securing precision testing, non-destructive evaluation, and machinery diagnostics services that underpin the shipyard’s maintenance and modernization programs. She operates within a highly regulated environment requiring strict adherence to naval engineering protocols and quality assurance frameworks. Jackson-Heard maintains consistent contracting relationships with a core group of technical service providers, including G I INDUSTRIAL-MARINE, LLC, OWL INTERNATIONAL INC., AMEE BAY, LLC, ORBIS SIBRO INC, and MID ATLANTIC ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SERVICES, INC. These vendors deliver specialized testing, calibration, and marine systems evaluation services critical to vessel integrity. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships built on technical reliability, regulatory compliance, and proven performance in naval industrial environments, fostering a stable ecosystem of qualified service providers. Her contracting activity reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of acquisitions issued without set-aside designations, indicating a preference for selecting the most technically capable vendor regardless of socioeconomic status. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through set-asides, her awards consistently go to firms with demonstrated expertise in naval testing protocols, suggesting value-driven selection over socioeconomic criteria. The agency’s procurement activity is entirely concentrated under NAICS 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services), reflecting a deep specialization in non-destructive testing, material analysis, fluid system validation, and mechanical integrity assessments. Jackson-Heard’s expertise lies in procuring high-precision laboratory and field testing services essential to validating the structural and operational safety of naval vessels, ensuring compliance with Navy Technical Manuals and maritime safety regulations.