Sara Mueller, Lease Contracting Officer

Francisca Sara Mueller serves as a key procurement lead within the NIH A&E Construction office, responsible for managing the acquisition of facilities infrastructure essential to the National Institutes of Health’s biomedical research mission. She oversees the planning, solicitation, and award of contracts for the design, construction, renovation, and maintenance of federal research facilities, ensuring alignment with federal building codes, safety standards, and mission-critical operational requirements. Her acquisitions primarily involve nonresidential building leasing and related construction support services, with a strong emphasis on compliance, sustainability, and long-term facility readiness for high-containment laboratories and advanced research environments. Mueller works closely with a broad spectrum of commercial contractors specializing in federal construction, facility management, and infrastructure modernization. While no single vendor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms possessing expertise in GSA Schedule compliance, architectural and engineering services, and utility system upgrades critical to sensitive research operations. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, rigorous technical evaluations, and contract administration aligned with FAR and NIH-specific facility standards. Mueller’s procurement activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic preference for maximizing market access and technical capability rather than socioeconomic set-asides, though she remains compliant with all applicable small business participation requirements. Her approach prioritizes mission-critical performance over socioeconomic categorization, ensuring the highest quality and reliability in facility infrastructure. Her primary procurement focus is NAICS 531120—Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses)—indicating a specialization in long-term facility leasing arrangements for research spaces, including build-to-suit configurations and tenant improvements. She frequently procures integrated facility services such as HVAC modernization, electrical system upgrades, laboratory ventilation, and infrastructure resilience enhancements tailored to NIH’s unique scientific needs.