Senior CNO Developer (Onsite)

Nightwing; Maryland; On-site; USD 99,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

401k

Paid time off

Holidays

Additional insurances

Job summary

Nightwing seeks a senior CNO software engineer to design, develop, test, and maintain advanced cyber non-kinetic operations capabilities. You will mentor junior engineers and ensure tools are production-ready to support high-priority mission requirements.

The role requires TS/SCI + CI Poly within 5 years, leadership experience, and strong proficiency in C/C++, Python, and Assembly; prior Windows/UNIX development and CNO tooling know-how preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and six (6) years of experience OR minimum ten (10) years of experience in relevant field
• Minimum eight (8) years of experience programming in Assembly, C, C++, Java, Perl, and/or Python
• Minimum seven (7) years of experience developing in one or more Windows/UNIX environments
• Minimum six (6) years of experience with programming CNO tools and techniques
• Minimum five (5) years of experience managing and supervising teams for Government CNO capability development
• Minimum five (5) years of experience programming CNO tools for the US Government
• Minimum four (4) years of experience programming techniques to evade host and/or network-based IDS
• Minimum four (4) years of experience in network sockets programming and application-level protocols

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, testing, and maintenance of advanced CNO capabilities for high-priority mission requirements
• Provide technical mentorship to junior team members
• Ensure tools are ready for operational success
• Collaborate with government customers and cross-functional teams

Skills

C/C++

Python

Assembly

Java

Perl

Networking sockets

Windows/.NET

UNIX makefiles

IDS evasion

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree

10+ years experience

Tools

IDA Pro

Ghidra

OllyDbg

Visual Studio/.NET

Git

Job description

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers’ most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.

Position Overview

The candidate will take a leading role in designing, developing, testing, and maintaining advanced CNO capabilities to fulfill high-priority mission requirements. They will contribute technical expertise, provide mentorship to junior team members, and ensure tools are ready for operational success.

Clearance

TS/SCI + FSP + CI Poly within 5 years

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and six (6) years of experience OR minimum ten (10) years of experience in relevant field
• Minimum eight (8) years of experience programming in Assembly, C, C++, Java, Perl, and/or Python
• Minimum seven (7) years of experience developing in one (1) or more of the following: Windows applications using Visual Studio or .NET environments; UNIX applications using make files or comparable build environments
• Minimum six (6) years of experience with programming CNO tools and techniques
• Minimum five (5) years of experience managing and supervising teams in support of Government CNO capability development
• Minimum five (5) years of experience programming CNO tools for the US Government
• Minimum four (4) years of experience programming techniques to evade host and/or network-based IDS
• Minimum four (4) years’ experience in network sockets programming and application-level protocols

Specialized Qualifications

• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C/C++, and/or Assembly, along with scripting languages (e.g., Bash, PowerShell)
• Deep understanding of operating systems internals and kernel-level programming
• Expertise in exploitation techniques, including buffer overflows, heap spraying, privilege escalation, and more
• Knowledge of modern encryption protocols, defense evasion strategies, and network interception
• Understanding of network protocols and sockets, common CNO techniques, exploitation mitigations such as DEP and ASLR, and modern software engineering concepts
• Experience with reverse engineering frameworks (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, OllyDbg) and disassemblers/debuggers
• Experience with project management best practices such as Scrum and Kanban methodologies
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git) along with understanding of basic configuration management principles

The salary associated with this position $99,000-$206,000 is commensurate with the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, and demonstrated level of expertise. Compensation will be determined based on these factors to ensure alignment with skills, responsibilities, and market standards.

Nightwing offers medical, vision and dental insurance coverage in addition to a 401k plan, PTO, Holidays, and additional insurances.

At Nightwing, we value collaboration and teamwork. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals who are passionate about what they do. Together, we’ll leverage our collective expertise to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and deliver exceptional results for our clients.

Thank you for considering joining us as we embark on this new journey and shape the future of cybersecurity and intelligence together as part of the Nightwing team.

Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.