Vaughn I. Oswald

Vaughn I. Oswald serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contract Administration Services Division (70RCAS) of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations. In this role, he manages the full lifecycle of professional, scientific, and technical service acquisitions critical to national security missions, including research and development in physical and engineering sciences, cybersecurity systems engineering, and operational technology integration. His work ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while advancing the agency’s mission to maintain systems integrity and operational readiness through innovative technical solutions. Oswald routinely handles complex, performance-based contracts for high-skill labor services, often involving multi-year task orders and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicles. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, Oswald maintains a dynamic portfolio of vendor partnerships with firms specializing in advanced R&D, systems engineering, and cybersecurity services. He engages both large prime contractors and small business subcontractors, fostering collaborative relationships grounded in technical excellence and regulatory compliance. His contracting approach emphasizes performance metrics, risk mitigation, and deliverable-based outcomes, ensuring alignment with DHS’s mission-critical requirements. Oswald demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with approximately half of his awards structured as 8(a) competed contracts and the other half as open, no-set-aside procurements. This balanced approach supports both competitive fairness and targeted small business development, consistently channeling opportunities to 8(a) certified firms while maintaining flexibility for mission-critical requirements that demand specialized capabilities. His procurement focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology). He procures services including applied physics research, advanced materials testing, systems modeling and simulation, cybersecurity architecture development, and engineering analysis for critical infrastructure protection, reflecting deep expertise in technical domains essential to homeland security innovation.