Tamara Jenkins

Tamara Jenkins serves as a key procurement lead within the Naval Research Laboratory, supporting the agency’s mission to advance foundational research and development in support of naval and national security objectives. She manages complex acquisition programs focused on high-precision sensors, electronic warfare components, signal processing systems, and autonomous navigation technologies. Her work ensures that cutting-edge scientific innovations are rapidly transitioned into operational capabilities through rigorous contract execution, technical evaluation, and compliance with DoD acquisition regulations. Jenkins specializes in early-stage R&D contracts and prototype acquisitions under FAR Part 35 and Other Transaction Authority (OTA) mechanisms, bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and field-deployable systems. She maintains sustained partnerships with a select group of specialized contractors including Assurance Technology Corp, L3Harris NexGen Communications LLC, Envisioneering Inc, Integration Innovation Inc, and Analex Corporation. These vendors are consistently selected for their deep expertise in advanced electronics, embedded systems, and defense-grade signal processing. Jenkins favors long-term, performance-based collaborations with firms that demonstrate proven technical capabilities in classified and unclassified R&D environments, often engaging them through competitive sealed bidding and sole-source justifications under unique technical requirements. Jenkins’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. She does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead emphasizing technical merit, capability maturity, and mission alignment over socioeconomic criteria. This approach ensures that the most technically qualified providers are selected to meet the NRL’s demanding performance thresholds. Her primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 333242 (Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing), reflecting her specialization in the acquisition of advanced fabrication equipment, test and calibration systems, and specialized instrumentation for semiconductor and microelectronic development. She routinely procures custom-designed hardware for radar, electronic countermeasures, and quantum sensing applications, requiring deep domain expertise in RF/microwave subsystems and high-reliability manufacturing processes.