Senior Advisor to the Principal Director for Advanced Computing and Software
Associate Director, Global Research Watch within the Office of Strategic Intelligence & Analysis
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering for Critical Technologies (OUSD(R&E))

Ms. Kaitlin Bulavinetz serves as the Senior Advisor to the Principal Director for Advanced Computing & Software (PD-ACS) and as the Associate Director for Global Research Watch for the Office of Strategic Intelligence & Analysis (OSI&A) within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) for Critical Technologies. In these capacities, she supports tech transition for software and Department-wide software modernization efforts along with leading R&E technology horizon scanning and tech scouting efforts to inform science and technology (S&T) investments and strategic priorities of the Department of Defense (DoD).

Ms. Bulavinetz previously served as the Chief of Staff, Office of the Chief Software Officer in the Department of the Air Force. She aided the Air Force Chief Software Officer in his duties as the Air Force’s senior software czar, primarily enabling Air Force and Space Force programs in the transition to Agile and DevSecOps to establish force-wide DevSecOps capabilities and best practices, including continuous Authority to Operate (cATO) processes and faster streamlined technology adoption. Prior to this role, she worked within the DoD supporting the Office of Acquisition Enablers and as an analyst with the Defense Innovation Board (DIB).

Prior to working in the DoD, Ms. Bulavinetz worked in the private sector as a software Customer Success Manager for commercial and federal accounts and as the federal Customer Advocacy and Corporate Communications Manager at Hitachi Vantara. During her time as a Senior Associate with The Meyers Group, she formulated and executed federal business development strategies for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to technology start-ups. Additionally, she has previously handled press and legislative issues in several Congressional offices.

In her personal capacity, Ms. Bulavinetz participated as a fellow in the 2022 Transatlantic Digital Debates, a program hosted by the Global Public Policy Institute that brings together 18 German and American young professionals to discuss technology policy from a transatlantic perspective. In 2019 Ms. Bulavinetz was named a “Rising Star” by Federal Computer Week magazine and recognized at the Government Innovation Awards for her work with cyber and national security nonprofits. She is originally from the Baltimore area and is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park with dual degrees in Journalism and Government & Politics; she later received her MBA from this institution.