Shelby Buford Jr.

Shelby Buford Jr. serves as a Contracting Officer within the Contract Administration Services Division (70RCAS) of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations. In this role, he is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of professional, scientific, and technical service acquisitions that directly support national security objectives. His portfolio centers on securing mission-critical capabilities in physical and engineering sciences, cybersecurity, and systems engineering to ensure operational readiness and infrastructure integrity. Buford Jr. exercises full contracting authority for complex, performance-based solicitations, including cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contracts, ensuring compliance with FAR and DHS acquisition policies while aligning procurements with strategic agency priorities. Buford Jr. collaborates with a diverse array of prime contractors, including large systems integrators, specialized engineering firms, and niche technical consultants. His working relationships are characterized by a focus on technical excellence, past performance validation, and rigorous source selection under best-value tradeoff evaluations. While no single contractor dominates his award profile, he consistently engages vendors with demonstrated expertise in advanced research, modeling and simulation, and cybersecurity systems engineering, fostering long-term partnerships built on accountability and mission alignment. Buford Jr. maintains a clear preference for open, unrestricted competitions, with 100% of his acquisitions classified as “No Set-Aside.” This reflects a strategic emphasis on maximizing competition among the broadest possible pool of qualified offerors, prioritizing technical capability and value over socioeconomic categorization. While he does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, his procurement approach remains fully compliant with all statutory requirements and encourages small business participation as subcontractors where technically appropriate. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), which accounts for over half of his activity, followed by 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services) and 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services). He regularly acquires services related to advanced systems modeling, threat analysis, sensor development, and technical advisory support, demonstrating deep expertise in engineering science domains critical to homeland security operations.