Susan Lee

Susan J. Lee serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she manages complex acquisitions supporting advanced aerospace propulsion, hypersonic systems, and high-performance materials research. Her portfolio focuses on mission-critical R&D contracts that accelerate the transition of laboratory innovations into operational capabilities for air and space dominance. She oversees the full lifecycle of procurement actions—from market research and solicitation to award and contract administration—ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning with the Air Force’s strategic modernization goals. Lee maintains enduring relationships with leading defense and aerospace contractors including UES Inc., General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit AeroSystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established industry leaders with proven expertise in propulsion systems, adaptive flight controls, and advanced composite materials. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and long-term collaboration with vendors capable of delivering high-risk, high-reward innovations under tight developmental timelines. While the majority of her acquisitions (83.3%) are conducted without set-asides, she consistently allocates 16.7% of her portfolio to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to expanding small business participation in cutting-edge defense R&D. Her socioeconomic strategy prioritizes capability over size, ensuring qualified small firms contribute meaningfully to technical milestones without compromising mission readiness. Her primary NAICS focus spans research and development in physical and engineering sciences (33.3% and 16.7%), alongside surgical appliance manufacturing (33.3%)—a reflection of cross-domain material science applications—and site preparation (16.7%) for specialized test infrastructure. She procures advanced materials, propulsion test hardware, computational modeling tools, and integrated flight systems, underscoring deep technical expertise in aerospace propulsion and functional material development.