Overview of the OpportunityTwo Six Technologies is seeking a Lead CNO Developer to join our Trusted Electronics and Effects team supporting an advanced telecommunications research and cyber capability development program.
This is a full-time, in-office position based in our Arlington, Virginia office, where close collaboration across reverse engineering, vulnerability research, and hardware teams is critical to mission success.
This program has conducted deep technical research into telecommunications access mechanisms within defined systems, identifying novel methods that enable system access without traditional interaction. The team is now focused on leveraging that research to perform advanced reverse engineering and vulnerability research, as well as to develop operational tools and capabilities that can be deployed in complex, real-world environments.
As a Lead CNO Developer, you will serve as the technical lead for a small, highly skilled team of developers and researchers. You will provide hands-on technical direction, assign and prioritize tasking, ensure high technical standards, and engage directly with mission partners and stakeholders. You will play a central role in translating research discoveries into scalable, mission-ready cyber capabilities.
What You Will Do- Lead the technical direction, execution, and tasking of a small CNO development team
- Serve as the technical point of contact for project leadership and government stakeholders
- Design, architect, and develop custom tools and capabilities targeting embedded and telecommunications systems
- Oversee the development of proofs-of-concept from discovered vulnerabilities and transition them into robust, maintainable operational codebases following DevOps best practices
- Guide reverse engineering and vulnerability research efforts against complex Linux-based and embedded systems
- Analyze firmware, operating system internals, wireless protocols, and software protections to uncover exploitable security flaws
- Direct the development and extension of custom tooling to analyze and manipulate software/firmware binaries
- Lead capability development leveraging novel telecommunications access mechanisms
- Provide technical mentorship to junior and mid-level developers
- Present technical findings, progress updates, and capability demonstrations to transition partners and mission stakeholders
What You Will Need (Minimum Qualifications)- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Equivalent practical experience in security research, reverse engineering, vulnerability research, or exploit development may substitute for a degree.
- 7+ years of experience designing, developing, and prototyping low-level applications or cyber capabilities with familiarity of agile software development processes
- Demonstrated experience leading small technical teams or serving as a technical lead on complex cyber programs
- Strong client-facing experience, including briefing technical concepts and engaging directly with government stakeholders
- Experience tasking and prioritizing technical work in dynamic R&D environments
- Experience with Python, C, C++, or related systems-level programming languages
- Experience with operating system internals (privilege models, user groups, binary memory layout)
- Strong experience with network socket programming and expert packet-level understanding of IP, TCP, and related application-level protocols
- Experience with reverse engineering x86/ARM binaries or embedded systems
- Experience tracing code execution in debuggers (WinDbg, GDB, or equivalent)
- Expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Firmware analysis (ARM, RTOS, or similar)
- Fuzzing and exploit development
- Wireless protocols with Wireshark
- File system forensics and fault injection frameworks
- Scripting with Binary Ninja or Ghidra
- Binary Ninja API or Ghidra
- Active U.S. Top Secret security clearance with ability to obtain and maintain SCI access
Nice to Have (Preferred Qualifications)- Proven experience identifying and analyzing vulnerabilities in complex applications
- Knowledge of memory protection mechanisms (ASLR, DEP, etc.)
- Experience establishing or maintaining CI/CD pipelines and virtualized test ranges
- Experience with firmware or driver development across Linux, Windows, or embedded systems
- Strong understanding of memory management (heap, stack, virtual memory, MMU, physical vs. virtual addressing)
- Experience working with telecommunications systems, including protocol analysis, access mechanisms, or infrastructure components (5G experience a plus)
- Graduate degree in Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering, or related field
Clearance Requirements:- Active U.S. Security clearance of Top Secret level with the ability to obtain/maintain SCI.
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Two Six Technologies is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive compensation packages that reflect the value we place on our employees and their contributions. We believe in rewarding skills, experience, and performance. Our offerings include but are not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement benefits, paid leave, tuition assistance and professional development.
The projected salary range listed for this position is annualized. This is a general guideline and not a guarantee of salary. Salary is one component of our total compensation package and the specific salary offered is determined by various factors, including, but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, geographic location, as well as contract specific affordability and organizational requirements.
Salary Range
$171,164-$256,746 USD
