Shirley Lindom

Shirley D. Lindom serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), where she plays a pivotal role in advancing critical space and aerospace technologies through strategic acquisitions. She manages the full lifecycle of research and development contracts, ensuring alignment with the Division’s mission to pioneer next-generation space systems, resilient computing architectures, and high-performance instrumentation for space domain awareness and autonomous operations. Her portfolio is centered on foundational R&D efforts that support rapid prototyping and technology transition, requiring deep technical understanding and agile contracting practices to meet urgent national security needs. Lindom collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of contractors, including defense primes, research institutions, and innovative small businesses engaged in aerospace engineering, propulsion systems, and space-based sensor development. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, her procurement patterns reflect a preference for partners with proven expertise in physical and engineering sciences, particularly those capable of delivering high-risk, high-reward technologies under tight timelines. She fosters collaborative, performance-based relationships that emphasize technical innovation, compliance with federal acquisition regulations, and timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities. Lindom demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with approximately one-third of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. Her approach prioritizes equitable access for small businesses with relevant technical capabilities, supporting socioeconomic goals without compromising mission readiness. She does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead favoring broad small business competition to maximize innovation and market responsiveness. Her procurement focus is exclusively on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—reflecting her specialization in advanced aerospace R&D. She procures services including propulsion system design, space-qualified electronics, autonomous control algorithms, and high-fidelity simulation tools, ensuring the Air Force maintains technological superiority in next-generation space operations.