CNO Developer

avav; Jessup (MD); On-site; USD 125,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. seeks a CNO Developer to design and build low-level software tools supporting national security missions. You will work hands-on with reverse engineering, debugging, and secure coding practices to deliver mission-critical capabilities.

The role emphasizes collaboration with engineers and analysts, rigorous testing, and documentation under strict security requirements, including ITAR and EAR compliance.

Qualifications

• Requires a technical degree or equivalent experience in CS/CE.
• Proficiency in Python or C/C++ and network/socket development.
• Active TS/SCI with Polygraph is required for this role.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop CNO capabilities, tools, and applications.
• Contribute across the full software development lifecycle, including design and testing.
• Troubleshoot and debug complex, low-level software systems.
• Apply networking fundamentals (TCP/IP and socket-level programming).
• Collaborate with engineers and mission partners to ensure performance and security.
• Maintain high standards for software quality, testing, and documentation.
• Support secure coding practices across development efforts.

Skills

Python

C/C++

TCP/IP

Socket programming

Debugging

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

High School diploma with 4+ years of technical experience

Tools

GDB

Unix/Linux

Job description

Worker Type

Regular

Job Summary

The primary role of the CNO Developer is to design and develop low‑level software tools and capabilities in support of Computer Network Operations (CNO) missions. This role focuses on building, debugging, and maintaining mission‑critical cyber capabilities through hands‑on software development and reverse engineering. You’ll collaborate closely with engineers and analysts to deliver secure, high‑impact solutions that directly support national security operations.

Position Responsibilities

• Design and develop CNO capabilities, tools, and applications
• Contribute independently across the full software development lifecycle, including design, documentation, testing, and debugging
• Troubleshoot and debug complex, low‑level software systems
• Apply networking fundamentals including TCP/IP and socket‑level programming
• Collaborate with engineers, analysts, and mission partners to ensure system performance and security
• Maintain high standards for software quality, testing, and documentation
• Support secure coding practices across development efforts

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field such as Computer Science or Computer Engineering with a minimum of 0 years of software engineering experience
• OR High School diploma with a minimum of 4 years of relevant technical experience
• Experience in Python or C/C++
• Experience with network programming (TCP/IP) and socket‑level development
• Experience troubleshooting and debugging complex systems
• An active TS/SCI with Polygraph

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Experience developing CNO capabilities or performing software reverse engineering
• Familiarity with assembly‑level concepts and low‑level system behavior
• Experience working with system internals across platforms such as Windows, Unix, mobile, or network devices
• Understanding of unit testing practices and test automation
• Familiarity with Atlassian tools such as JIRA, Confluence, or Crucible

Salary Range

$125,000 – $137,000

Clearance Level

Top Secret with Polygraph

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arch Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.