Rachael A Harris

Rachael A. Harris serves as the AFMC Small Business Liaison within Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command (FA5066), where she plays a pivotal role in aligning small business engagement with the Air Force’s strategic modernization goals. Her responsibilities include facilitating the acquisition of advanced research and development services critical to aerospace and electronic systems, ensuring that cutting-edge instrumentation, sensor technologies, and test and evaluation capabilities are sourced efficiently and in compliance with federal contracting regulations. She acts as a bridge between AFMC’s technical mission requirements and the small business community, guiding contractors through the procurement lifecycle and promoting transparency in solicitation processes. While specific contractor relationships are not publicly enumerated, Harris collaborates extensively with a broad spectrum of technical service providers specializing in physical and engineering sciences. Her working relationships are characterized by a focus on innovation-driven vendors capable of delivering high-fidelity R&D solutions for aircraft systems, electronic warfare platforms, and mission-critical analytical tools. She fosters long-term partnerships with firms possessing deep domain expertise in systems integration, signal processing, and laboratory-grade instrumentation development. Harris’s procurement strategy reflects a strong emphasis on open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-aside designations. This approach prioritizes technical merit and capability over socioeconomic categorization, ensuring that the most qualified firms—regardless of size or certification—compete on an equal footing. While small business participation is encouraged, it is not mandated through set-asides, reflecting a mission-first procurement philosophy grounded in performance and technical excellence. Her primary focus is on NAICS 541712, encompassing research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences. She consistently procures advanced engineering services, prototype development, test and evaluation support, and analytical software systems tailored to sustain air superiority and weapons system integrity. Her domain expertise lies in sensor modernization, communications infrastructure, and high-performance test environments critical to Air Force operational readiness.