CNO Developer

At Accenture Federal Services, nothing matters more than helping the US federal government make the nation stronger and safer and life better for people. Our 13,000+ people are united in a shared purpose to pursue the limitless potential of technology and ingenuity for clients across defense, national security, public safety, civilian, and military health organizations.
Join Accenture Federal Services, a technology company within global Accenture. Recognized as a Glassdoor Top 100 Best Place to Work, we offer a collaborative and caring community where you feel like you belong and are empowered to grow, learn and thrive through hands-on experience, certifications, industry training and more.
Join us to drive positive, lasting change that moves missions and the government forward!
Job Description:
Our team is seeking a mid-level Computer Network Operations (CNO) Developer to design, develop, and test sophisticated software capabilities in support of national security missions. The successful candidate will work within a close-knit team of developers, reverse engineers, and vulnerability researchers to build custom tools that operate reliably across diverse network environments. This role requires strong low-level programming skills, a deep understanding of operating system internals, and the judgment to operate within strict legal, ethical, and operational constraints.
This position requires working full-time on site at the Accenture Federal Services facility in Herndon, VA.
The work you'll do:
Design, develop, test, and maintain custom software capabilities used in computer network operations.
Perform low-level software development in C/C++, Python, and/or Assembly for Windows, Linux, and/or embedded targets.
Analyze target systems and network architectures to identify technical requirements and constraints for capability development. Collaborate with vulnerability researchers and reverse engineers to integrate exploits and achieve reliable code execution.
Develop and maintain command-and-control (C2) communication protocols.
Produce clear technical documentation, including design specifications, test plans, and operational employment guides.
Support integration, test, and evaluation events and provide technical support during operational missions.
Stay current on emerging operating system security features, offensive cyber technologies, and tradecraft to inform capability design.
Adhere strictly to all legal, policy, and oversight requirements governing CNO development and employment.
Here's what you need:
3+ years of relevant software development experience.
Strong C/C++ skills, with solid grounding in memory management, concurrency, and performance tuning in production code.
Deep Windows internals knowledge — Win32/NT API, processes and threads, virtual memory, synchronization, and the I/O subsystem.
Hands-on low-level Windows development, such as kernel-mode or user-mode driver work.
Comfortable with Windows debugging tools — WinDbg, the Visual Studio debugger, Sysinternals, and similar.
Experience writing secure code and tracking down memory corruption, race conditions, and crashes from dump files.
Working knowledge of a scripting language such as Python for tool development and automation.
Familiarity with reverse engineering tools (e.g., IDA Pro, Ghidra, GDB) in addition to Windows-native debugging tools.
Understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S) and common network protocols.
Bonus points if you have:
Prior experience supporting the Intelligence Community, or other federal CNO/cyber mission programs.
Experience with exploit development, binary analysis, or vulnerability research.
Familiarity with anti-virus/EDR evasion techniques, obfuscation, and anti-forensics methods.
Familiarity with Agile/Scrum development methodologies and modern CI/CD tooling in classified environments.
Experience with embedded systems, firmware, or mobile platform development (iOS/Android).
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a small, mission-focused team under tight timelines.
Security clearance:
Active TS/SCI with Poly security clearance is required.
As required by local law, Accenture Federal Services provides reasonable ranges of compensation for hired roles based on labor costs in the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The base pay range for this position in these locations is shown below. Compensation for roles at Accenture Federal Services varies depending on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. Accenture Federal Services offers a wide variety of benefits. You can find more information on benefits here. We accept applications on an on-going basis and there is no fixed deadline to apply.
The pay range for the states of 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
What We Believe
As a company wholly dedicated to serving the US federal government, we bring together the best talent to help reinvent how federal agencies operate and deliver greater value for their mission and the American people. We have an unwavering commitment to creating a culture in which all our people are respected, feel a sense of belonging, and have equal opportunity. As a business imperative, every person at Accenture Federal Services has the responsibility to create and sustain a culture where everyone feels welcomed and included. This is grounded in our core values and our experience that hiring and developing great people who reflect different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds is key to driving innovation and delivering the results that our clients and the country count on.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities. For details, view a copy of the Accenture Federal Services Equal Opportunity Policy Statement.
Accenture Federal Services is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Additionally, as an Affirmative Action Employer for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women.
Requesting An Accommodation
Accenture Federal Services is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture Federal Services and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired.
If you are being considered for employment opportunities with Accenture Federal Services and need an accommodation for a disability or religious observance during the interview process or for the job you are in