Senior CNO Developer

MANTECH seeks a motivated, career and customer-oriented Senior CNO Developer to join our team in Annapolis Junction, MD. This is an onsite position.

This position supports mission-critical national security objectives and operates at the intersection of hardware, software, and embedded systems. This hands-on role focuses on transforming proof-of-concept exploits and disclosed vulnerabilities into reliable, operationally ready capabilities. The role is ideal for engineers who thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy solving complex, unconventional technical challenges.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design, develop, document, and test custom hardware- and software-based Computer Network Operations (CNO) capabilities and tools, with an emphasis on embedded and resource-constrained systems.
• Reverse engineer complex hardware, firmware, and software systems to understand functionality and identify vulnerabilities.
• Conduct in-depth vulnerability research and engineer operational exploits against diverse targets and architectures.
• Work directly with mission stakeholders to collaborate, design, and validate capabilities against operational requirements.
• Apply knowledge of core network and security concepts to guide capability architecture and deployment.
• Perform rigorous code reviews to ensure software quality, operational security, and runtime performance.
• Build, manage, and troubleshoot advanced Linux-based development and analysis environments.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in STEM field; may substitute based on additional experience and 7 years of position-relevant work experience and DoD 8570.01-m IAT Level II certification.
• Demonstrated experience in Computer Network Operations (CNO) capability development, access development, and Vulnerability Research (VR) & Exploit Development.
• Strong programming proficiency in C/C++ and Assembly, alongside solid scripting skills in Python for automation and tool development.
• Proven expertise in advanced binary analysis and reverse engineering using tools such as Ghidra, IDA Pro, or Binary Ninja.
• Deep understanding of low-level operating system internals, memory models, and security architectures across one or more platforms (e.g., Linux/Unix, Windows, mobile, or network devices).
• Deep expertise in configuring, managing, and troubleshooting Linux/Unix environments, including navigating and bypassing complex security constraints.
• Extensive experience working with embedded architectures (e.g., ARM, MIPS, PowerPC) and RTOS environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Linux kernel development and network socket programming.
• Hands-on knowledge of IoT device architectures and firmware extraction/analysis.
• Strong networking background and network protocol analysis skills. • Experience with virtualization platforms and hypervisor technologies.
• Experience integrating security and testing tools into automated CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with utilizing machine learning techniques to accelerate capability development or vulnerability discovery.

Clearance Requirements:

• Must have a current/active DoD TS/SCI.

Physical Requirements:

• The person in this position must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. Occasionally moves about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, or to communicate with co-workers, management, and customers via email, phone, and virtual communication, which may involve delivering presentations.