Paula K Nusbaum

Paula K. Nusbaum serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contract Administration Services Division (70RCAS) of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex acquisitions that support national security and operational readiness. She manages the full lifecycle of professional, scientific, and technical service contracts, with a focus on ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and advancing mission-critical capabilities in systems engineering, cybersecurity, and physical infrastructure. Her work directly enables the agency’s R&D initiatives and ensures the integrity of high-stakes government systems through rigorous contract administration and risk mitigation. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identifiable, Nusbaum routinely engages with a diverse pool of vendors offering specialized services across engineering, management consulting, and technical construction disciplines. Her contracting patterns reflect collaboration with both large-capacity firms and small business concerns, emphasizing performance-based outcomes and contractual accountability. She maintains a balanced approach to vendor engagement, prioritizing technical competency, past performance, and compliance with socioeconomic requirements to foster reliable, mission-aligned partnerships. Nusbaum demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with nearly 18% of her acquisitions structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. Though the majority of her contracts remain open to all competitors, her consistent use of small business set-asides signals a deliberate strategy to expand opportunities for qualified small entities without compromising mission needs. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate balance between operational urgency and socioeconomic goals, aligning with DHS’s broader objectives for inclusive procurement. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541611 (administrative and management consulting services) and 541330 (engineering services), supplemented by significant activity in construction-related categories such as 237130 and 238220. She routinely procures technical advisory services, systems integration support, and infrastructure modernization solutions, demonstrating deep familiarity with the intersection of engineering, cybersecurity, and facility-based operational requirements critical to homeland security missions.