Susan C. Caldwell

Susan C. Caldwell serves as a Contract Specialist at the Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (N40027), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex procurement actions to sustain the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle management of contracts for ship maintenance, repair, and modernization activities under NAICS 336611, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and mission-critical readiness standards. She routinely handles performance-based, cost-reimbursement, and fixed-price contracts for dry-docking services, hull structural overhauls, and propulsion system upgrades, directly supporting the agency’s mandate to extend the service life of naval vessels through technical and industrial capabilities. While specific contractor names are not disclosed, Caldwell maintains robust working relationships with a diverse pool of defense industrial base vendors, including shipyards, marine engineering firms, and specialized repair contractors with demonstrated expertise in naval vessel systems. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance metrics, quality assurance, and supply chain resilience, fostering long-term vendor partnerships grounded in technical proficiency and regulatory compliance. Caldwell’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 90% of acquisitions conducted without set-asides, aligning with the scale and complexity of naval maintenance requirements. However, she consistently allocates 10% of opportunities to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation without compromising mission needs. Her socioeconomic strategy prioritizes broad-based small business engagement over narrow socioeconomically targeted programs. Her primary technical focus is on Ship Building and Repairing (NAICS 336611), where she procures services ranging from structural steel fabrication and tank cleaning to electrical and mechanical system modernization. She also manages limited acquisitions in Broadwoven Fabric Mills (NAICS 313210) for specialized naval textile applications, reflecting her deep understanding of both heavy industrial and niche maritime supply chains.