CNO Developer

Description

The company works for the US federal government, with more than 13,000 people serving clients in defense, national security, public safety, civilian, and military health.

The company is a technology firm within a larger global organization.

This mid-level role is for a Computer Network Operations (CNO) Developer who designs, builds, and tests advanced software for national security missions.

You would join a small team of developers, reverse engineers, and vulnerability researchers building custom tools that run reliably across varied network environments. The job calls for strong low-level programming, solid knowledge of operating system internals, and sound judgment within strict legal, ethical, and operational limits.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and maintain custom software used in computer network operations.
• Write low-level code in C/C++, Python, or Assembly, or a mix of these, for Windows, Linux, or embedded systems.
• Study target systems and network designs to pin down the technical needs and limits for each capability.
• Work with vulnerability researchers and reverse engineers to integrate exploits and get code running reliably.
• Build and maintain command-and-control (C2) communication protocols.
• Write clear technical material, including design specifications, test plans, and operational employment guides.
• Help with integration, test, and evaluation events and give technical support during live missions.
• Track new operating system security features, offensive cyber technology, and tradecraft to shape capability design.
• Follow all legal, policy, and oversight rules that govern CNO development and use.

Requirements

• At least 3+ years of relevant software development experience.
• Strong C/C++ skills, including memory management, concurrency, and performance tuning in production code.
• Deep knowledge of Windows internals: Win32/NT API, processes and threads, virtual memory, synchronization, and the I/O subsystem.
• Hands-on low-level Windows work, such as kernel-mode or user-mode driver development.
• Comfortable with Windows debuggers such as WinDbg, the Visual Studio debugger, and Sysinternals.
• Experience writing secure code and finding memory corruption, race conditions, and crashes from dump files.
• Working knowledge of a scripting language such as Python for tooling and automation.
• Familiar with reverse engineering tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, or GDB, as well as Windows-native debuggers.
• Understanding of networking basics (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S) and common network protocols.
• Bonus: prior support for the Intelligence Community or other federal CNO or cyber mission programs.
• Bonus: experience with exploit development, binary analysis, or vulnerability research.
• Bonus: familiarity with anti-virus and EDR evasion, obfuscation, and anti-forensics methods.
• Bonus: familiarity with Agile/Scrum and modern CI/CD tooling in classified environments.
• Bonus: experience with embedded systems, firmware, or mobile platforms (iOS/Android).
• Bonus: ability to work independently and within a small, mission-focused team on tight timelines.

Conditions

Full-time, on site at the Herndon, VA facility.

An active TS/SCI security clearance is required.

The base pay range in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia is $106,300 - $206,200 USD.

Actual pay depends on location, role, skill set, and experience.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

The company works to keep a culture where everyone is respected, feels included, and has equal opportunity.

Benefits

• Access to a broad set of benefits.
• Hands-on experience, certifications, and industry training to help you grow.