Rachel A. May

Rachel A. May serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions, from requirements validation through contract award and administration. She plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) while aligning procurements with agency mission objectives. Her portfolio primarily encompasses technical and engineering services, as well as the procurement of specialized electronic instrumentation and aerospace components. Rachel specializes in complex, high-precision acquisitions requiring rigorous technical evaluation and risk mitigation, often involving sensor systems, test equipment, and aircraft subsystems. Rachel cultivates collaborative relationships with a diverse base of contractors, including both large prime contractors and small businesses with niche technical capabilities. She consistently engages firms with expertise in electrical signal measurement, avionics manufacturing, and systems engineering services. Her procurement approach emphasizes competitive bidding, clear performance metrics, and vendor accountability, fostering long-term partnerships with suppliers who demonstrate technical excellence and regulatory compliance. Rachel demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with over 31 percent of her awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While she does not favor specific socioeconomic categories like 8(a) or HUBZone as primary tools, her consistent use of small business set-asides reflects a deliberate strategy to expand market access for qualified small entities capable of delivering specialized technical solutions. Her contracting patterns prioritize capability over size, ensuring small businesses with proven technical proficiency are competitively positioned. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334515 for electrical measurement instrumentation, NAICS 541330 for engineering services, and NAICS 336411/336413 for aircraft manufacturing and component production. She regularly acquires precision test equipment, electronic subsystems, and aerospace-grade components requiring stringent quality controls and compliance with military or industry standards such as AS9100 and ISO 9001. Her domain expertise centers on defense-adjacent technologies and mission-critical instrumentation systems.