Yakemi Mckinnis

Yakemi Mckinnis serves as a Contract Specialist within the FA8651 Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Rwk, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex research and development acquisitions that advance the Department of the Air Force’s strategic priorities in aerospace and defense innovation. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for high-risk, high-reward scientific projects, including autonomy systems, guided missile technologies, space vehicle development, and infrared scene projection. Her work ensures that cutting-edge physical and engineering science initiatives are procured in alignment with federal acquisition regulations and AFRL’s mission to sustain U.S. dominance in air, space, and hypersonic domains. Mckinnis maintains a consistent working relationship with CONCURRENT REAL-TIME, INC., a key contractor providing advanced simulation, modeling, and real-time systems engineering services critical to AFRL’s experimental programs. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical excellence and mission alignment over socioeconomic set-asides, fostering long-term partnerships with firms capable of delivering specialized, high-performance R&D solutions under tight technical and schedule constraints. Her contracting portfolio reflects a strict focus on non-set-aside acquisitions, with 100% of her awards issued under unrestricted competition. This reflects a deliberate alignment with AFRL’s need for rapid access to niche technical capabilities that are often available only through large, specialized firms with deep domain expertise, rather than through socioeconomic preference programs. Mckinnis specializes exclusively in NAICS 541715—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—procuring advanced engineering services, prototype development, computational modeling, and experimental testbed integration. Her technical domain expertise centers on aerospace systems, sensor technologies, and autonomous control architectures, ensuring that AFRL’s foundational research transitions from concept to validated capability through precise, compliant contracting practices.