Mr. William (Will) Roe Roberts is currently head of Acquisitions for the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC)/Chief Digital and AI Officer (CDAO), Office of the Department of Defense in Arlington, Virginia. Will is responsible for ensuring that acquisition pathways and methodologies are centered on the JAIC mission of providing AI capabilities to the warfighter and DoD workforce. The work includes creating enabling guides, advice, and contract vehicles to assist the DoD services in the unique nature of AI as an emerging technology and how to tailor DoD contracting to meet this need.
Previously, Will was a Contracting Officer (CO) for the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (SAF), and worked Acquisition policy for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) where he provided expertise on service acquisition policy for DoDEA. Additionally, he drafted the Service Acquisition Strategy (SAS) and Procurement Policy Memorandum (PPM) for the agency that incorporated current Federal procurement laws and policies and provided clear guidance and templates to ensure accurate reporting on elements such as Inherently Governmental Functions (IGFs), critical functions, and personal services.
Will became a member of the ABA and Florida Bar as of 2011, receiving his law degree from Stetson University College of Law. During his legal studies, he became fascinated with contract law and commercial business principles. Originally determined to privately practice within the Tampa Florida area, he was later exposed to Federal Contracting and the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Desiring to be “closer to the action” – he has since maintained a role as “Contracting Officer” over legal advisor and has been involved in negotiating contracts for the past ten years.
