Rita A. Varley

Rita A. Varley serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), where she leads the acquisition of advanced aerospace and space systems technologies critical to U.S. dominance in space domain awareness and autonomous operations. Her portfolio centers on foundational research and rapid prototyping initiatives, managing full lifecycle contracts for high-performance instrumentation, resilient computing architectures, and next-generation propulsion systems. Varley ensures alignment with Air Force strategic priorities by facilitating timely, compliant, and technically rigorous procurements that accelerate innovation from lab to field. Varley collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of research institutions, defense contractors, and specialized engineering firms engaged in space systems development. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven expertise in hypersonics, satellite communications, and space-based sensor integration. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical merit, performance-based outcomes, and agile contracting methodologies to support rapid prototyping cycles and urgent operational needs. Varley’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued without set-aside designations. This reflects the highly specialized nature of the technologies required and the limited pool of qualified vendors capable of meeting the Division’s advanced technical standards. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through socioeconomic set-asides, she remains attentive to opportunities where qualified small businesses can contribute meaningfully within broader competitive solicitations. Her primary focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—encompassing advanced propulsion, space-based computing, and autonomous system R&D. Varley procures cutting-edge solutions including solid-fuel and electric propulsion prototypes, radiation-hardened electronics, and real-time space data processing systems, requiring deep technical fluency in aerospace engineering and systems integration. Her expertise ensures that procurement strategies directly enable the Air Force’s mission to maintain technological superiority in the space domain.