Sarah Thompson

Ms. Sarah Thompson serves as a key contracting professional within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she manages complex acquisitions supporting next-generation aerospace propulsion, hypersonic systems, and advanced functional materials. Her role centers on executing full lifecycle procurement for high-priority R&D initiatives critical to maintaining U.S. air and space dominance. She specializes in securing technical solutions through competitive bidding, sole-source justifications, and other authorized acquisition pathways, ensuring alignment with national defense priorities and technical feasibility. Her portfolio encompasses both fundamental research and applied engineering contracts that bridge laboratory innovation with operational readiness. Ms. Thompson maintains longstanding partnerships with industry leaders including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These relationships reflect a consistent focus on high-caliber contractors with proven expertise in propulsion system development, adaptive flight control, and composite material fabrication. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and long-term collaboration with vendors capable of delivering mission-critical solutions under stringent aerospace standards. Ms. Thompson’s procurement activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of contracts awarded without socioeconomic preferences such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB designations. This reflects the highly specialized, mission-critical nature of the work, which often requires advanced technical capabilities and infrastructure available only through established defense contractors with deep aerospace experience. While small business participation is not formally prioritized, her contracts may include subcontracting opportunities aligned with prime contractor compliance obligations. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 339999 (All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing) and 325180 (Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing), reflecting demand for novel materials and chemical processes used in thermal protection systems and propulsion components. She also frequently awards contracts under NAICS 541715 for physical and engineering research, underscoring her expertise in funding foundational science that enables next-generation propulsion technologies.