Robert B. Robel

Robert A. Robel serves as Contracting Officer and Team Leader for the 693JJ3 Acquisition and Grants Management unit under the Federal Highway Administration, where he leads the procurement of technical services critical to advancing the nation’s transportation infrastructure. In this role, he manages the full lifecycle of contracts for engineering, research, and operational consulting services that directly inform highway design, safety improvements, and data-driven infrastructure decisions. His portfolio emphasizes complex, performance-based acquisitions requiring deep technical oversight, ensuring compliance with federal regulations while aligning procurements with the agency’s mission of innovation and resilience in transportation systems. Robel maintains longstanding relationships with key contractors including K & M Transportation Services LLC and the University of California, Los Angeles, reflecting a balanced partnership model that combines industry expertise with academic research capabilities. He routinely engages firms capable of delivering specialized transportation engineering analyses, operational studies, and applied research, fostering collaborative, long-term vendor relationships grounded in technical rigor and deliverable-driven performance metrics. His contracting approach prioritizes quality, compliance, and mission alignment over transactional vendor interactions. His set-aside preferences are overwhelmingly dominated by full and open competition, with 95.8% of awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides. Only 4.2% of his contracts are awarded under the 8(a) program, indicating a strategic focus on selecting the most technically qualified offerors regardless of size or status, while still maintaining compliance with small business participation goals when appropriate. Robel’s procurement activity is concentrated in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), 541712 (Research and Development in Physical and Engineering Sciences), and 541990 (Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services). He consistently acquires services related to transportation systems analysis, infrastructure modeling, traffic safety studies, and operational consulting—domains requiring advanced technical expertise and adherence to federal transportation standards. His work directly supports evidence-based policy and engineering decisions across federal highway programs.