Kevin Jans

Kevin Jans is a recognized voice in federal government contracting, with nearly three decades of acquisition experience supporting government agencies and private-sector companies competing for federal contracts. After 16 years as a Department of Defense contracting officer, Jans founded Skyway Acquisition to assist companies in navigating the complexities of federal procurement. Drawing on his background as an Air Force and Special Operations Command contracting officer, he leads a team that provides pre-award, post-award, and strategic consulting, as well as training from the contracting officer's perspective.

Jans held contracting officer warrants with unlimited signing authority in multiple Department of Defense agencies, wrote and reviewed more than 1,000 contracts ranging in value from $7,700 to $882 million, and led or managed 143 competitive government source selections. His expertise spans acquisition regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Defense FAR Supplement, Air Force FAR Supplement, and Special Operations Command FAR Supplement. Jans has managed contracts across industries such as aircraft, space systems, facilities, and tactical vehicles, and has developed acquisition strategies for a diverse customer base, including Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, Air Force, and Marine Corps special operations forces.

Jans is also an author and educator in government contracting. He co-authored the book "Agile Government Contracting" with John Stenbeck and published "Is Government Contracting for Me?" and "Save Your Time: A Former Contracting Officer Explains Why the Government Market May (or May Not) Be Right for You." As a contracting officer, Jans was involved in awarding over $1 billion in government contracts, and his company has helped clients secure $470 million in federal contracts. He is a Certified Federal Contracts Manager through NCMA, DOD-certified in both contracting and program management through Defense Acquisition University, and holds a Yellow Belt Certification in Six Sigma.

Jans and co-host Paul Schauer created "The Contracting Officer Podcast" to help government and industry acquisition professionals understand each other's perspectives and improve government contracting processes. The podcast has reached more than 1.5 million downloads. Jans has delivered a TEDx TampaBay talk titled "Why the Micro Niche is Mighty" and has trained audiences of up to 2,000 people at events such as the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference and the Tampa Bay Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business Conferences. Jans also serves as an expert witness in cases involving federal acquisition regulations, contract award processes, and source selection procedures, providing insight across the government contracting ecosystem.