Nicole Pinkney

Nicole Pinkney serves as Lead Contracting Specialist for the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (N61340), where she manages the acquisition of mission-critical training systems that enhance naval aviation readiness. Her portfolio encompasses the development, modernization, and sustainment of immersive simulation environments, tactical combat training platforms, and integrated avionics infrastructure. She plays a pivotal role in aligning procurement strategy with the Department of the Navy’s strategic priorities in pilot and aircrew training, ensuring acquisitions support advanced instructional design, real-time data analytics, and high-fidelity virtual environments. Pinkney specializes in complex, performance-based contracts for systems integration and engineering services, often requiring rigorous technical validation and lifecycle support. Her primary contractor relationships are centered on STRACON SERVICES GROUP, LLC and FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL INC, both of which provide advanced training system integration, simulation hardware, and flight training curriculum development. Pinkney fosters long-term, performance-driven partnerships with these vendors, emphasizing deliverables tied to operational outcomes, systems interoperability, and continuous improvement cycles. She regularly engages with a small but highly specialized pool of technical contractors, prioritizing innovation and proven capability over volume. Pinkney demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 75% of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and 25% designated specifically for Women-Owned Small Businesses. Her contracting approach actively promotes equitable access for small, agile firms capable of delivering niche technical solutions in simulation and training systems, reinforcing the agency’s mandate to leverage small business innovation. Her procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), 541330 (Engineering Services), and 333310 (Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing). She procures advanced software-defined training systems, embedded simulation hardware, mission rehearsal environments, and custom avionics test equipment, reflecting deep expertise in defense-grade training technologies and systems engineering disciplines.