Teofilo Bautista, Jr.

Teofilo Bautista serves as a Contracting Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division (FA9453), where he plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace and space technologies critical to U.S. national security. He manages the full lifecycle of complex research and development acquisitions, focusing on rapid prototyping, next-generation propulsion systems, resilient computing architectures, and high-performance space instrumentation. His work directly supports the Department of the Air Force’s strategic imperative to maintain dominance in space domain awareness, satellite communications, and autonomous space operations through innovation-driven contracting. Bautista collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of defense contractors, academic research institutions, and specialized engineering firms engaged in cutting-edge aerospace R&D. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently engages with vendors possessing deep technical expertise in rocket propulsion, space systems integration, and high-fidelity simulation tools. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, agile acquisition methodologies, and technical merit over cost alone, fostering partnerships with organizations capable of delivering mission-critical capabilities under tight developmental timelines. Bautista’s procurement strategy reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of his acquisitions classified as non-set-aside. This underscores his focus on technical capability and mission readiness over socioeconomic categorization, though he remains compliant with all federal small business requirements. His approach prioritizes access to the broadest possible pool of qualified offerors with proven expertise in high-risk, high-reward aerospace technologies. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712, encompassing physical and engineering research and development, particularly in propulsion, hypersonics, and space-based sensor systems. He also frequently procures under NAICS 927110 for space research and technology initiatives, including autonomous satellite systems and next-generation orbital data architectures. His technical domain expertise centers on advanced propulsion, space-resilient computing, and high-reliability instrumentation for hostile space environments.