Tyler Stanforth

Tyler Stanforth serves as a Contract Negotiator within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. He specializes in negotiating complex, high-stakes contracts for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and mission-critical materials research. His work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the transition of fundamental scientific breakthroughs into operational capabilities, ensuring the Air Force maintains technological superiority through timely and technically rigorous procurement actions. Stanforth primarily handles engineering services acquisitions under full and open competition, focusing on R&D, prototyping, and systems integration contracts that demand deep technical expertise and stringent performance metrics. Stanforth maintains sustained working relationships with industry leaders such as UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by long-term collaboration on classified and unclassified research initiatives involving propulsion system design, adaptive flight controls, and advanced composite materials. His negotiation approach emphasizes technical alignment, risk mitigation, and performance-based outcomes, fostering trust with contractors capable of delivering cutting-edge solutions under demanding aerospace standards. Stanforth’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict preference for full and open competition, with no set-asides designated across his awarded contracts. This underscores a mission-driven focus on selecting the most technically capable vendors regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing performance, innovation, and national security imperatives over socioeconomic targeting. His primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), encompassing systems engineering, materials science, computational modeling, and propulsion system development. He routinely procures advanced technical services related to hypersonics, turbine engine optimization, thermal protection systems, and high-temperature functional materials, requiring deep domain expertise in aerospace propulsion and materials engineering.