Susan L. Alley

Susan L. Alley serves as a Contracting Officer for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s RDK division (FA9451), where she leads the acquisition of advanced research and development services critical to national aerospace security. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of contracts supporting cutting-edge innovations in directed energy, electro-optics, laser systems, and advanced instrumentation. Her procurement activities are central to the RDK mission of enabling next-generation air dominance through scientific breakthroughs, ensuring that technical requirements are translated into compliant, high-performing contractual vehicles that accelerate technology transition from lab to field. While specific contractor names are not disclosed in available data, Alley routinely engages with a diverse pool of research institutions, defense contractors, and engineering firms capable of delivering high-complexity R&D services. Her working relationships emphasize technical rigor, compliance with federal acquisition regulations, and collaboration with vendors possessing deep expertise in physical and engineering sciences. She fosters partnerships with organizations that can rapidly prototype, test, and validate novel systems under stringent military performance standards. Alley 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 contracting patterns reflect a deliberate preference for socioeconomic programs that empower small businesses with the technical capacity to contribute to high-priority defense R&D, though the majority of her portfolio remains open to all competitors to ensure maximum innovation and competition. Her procurement focus is exclusively aligned with NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology). She specializes in acquiring services related to laser vulnerability analysis, optical sensor development, high-energy systems, and advanced diagnostic instrumentation, requiring contractors with proven capabilities in experimental physics, systems engineering, and classified test environments.