Principal CNO Engineer

Clarity Innovations•Herndon, VA

About The Position

Clarity Innovations is a trusted national security partner, dedicated to safeguarding our nation’s interests and delivering innovative solutions that empower the Intelligence Community (IC) and Department of Defense (DoD) to transform data into actionable intelligence, ensuring mission success in an evolving world. Our mission-first software and data engineering platform modernizes data operations, utilizing advanced workflows, CI/CD, and secure DevSecOps practices. We focus on challenges in Information Warfare, Cyber Operations, Operational Security, and Data Structuring, enabling end-to-end solutions that drive operational impact. We are committed to delivering cutting-edge tools and capabilities that address the most complex national security challenges, empowering our partners to stay ahead of emerging threats and ensuring the success of their critical missions. At Clarity, we are people-focused and set on being a destination employer for top talent, offering an environment where innovation thrives, careers grow, and individuals are valued. Join us as we continue to lead innovation and tackle the most pressing challenges in national security. Company Overview Clarity is a technology company focused on equipping customers with the capabilities and support to conduct intelligent and successful cyber operations. We do this by finding the most talented engineers and operators in the country, giving them some of the most challenging problems facing the US government, and helping them unleash their creativity and problem-solving skills. Excellence is our standard and mission success is our metric. Role As a Principal CNO Developer, you will be the technical anchor for the development and integration of specialized cyber tools into our core platform. This role requires a "player-coach" mentality: you will lead the implementation of complex CNO features while ensuring that these tools integrate seamlessly with both the platform infrastructure and the end-user’s workflow. You will serve as the primary technical point of contact for CNO tool lifecycle management—from initial prototyping to final user-facing integration.

Requirements

Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance (US Citizenship required).
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field (or 4 years of equivalent hands-on experience).
Experience: 6-10+ years of professional software development experience, with a heavy emphasis on CNO/OCO tool development.
Languages: Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ and Python; strong experience with Assembly (x86/x64/ARM) or Go is highly preferred.
Platform Knowledge: Deep understanding of OS internals (Windows/Linux) and how CNO tools interact with kernel and user-mode components.
Tools: Proven experience with containerization (Docker, Podman) and version control for large-scale integration projects.
Mindset: Ability to execute independently in high-pressure environments while maintaining a collaborative, high-trust team dynamic.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of high-performance CNO tools using C, Python, and Go, ensuring they are optimized for platform compatibility.
Drive CNO tool integration, focusing on how backend capabilities interface with the broader platform architecture to ensure reliable delivery and execution.
Perform Reverse Engineering (using Ghidra, IDA, or Binary Ninja) to inform tool design and troubleshoot integration hurdles.
Design and maintain integration-focused build systems and CI/CD pipelines that streamline the path from "code complete" to "mission ready."
Develop across Linux and Windows environments, with a specific focus on cross-platform interoperability and persistence.
Translate high-level architectural designs into actionable technical tasks for the engineering team.
Bridge the gap between developers and operators, ensuring that CNO tools are intuitive and meet the specific functional needs of the end-user.
Act as the Technical Lead for specific toolsets, mentoring mid-level developers and ensuring code quality remains elite.
Decompose complex mission requirements into modular technical components that can be integrated into the platform's ecosystem.
Contribute directly to the codebase to solve the most difficult integration "bottlenecks" that stop tools from reaching the field.
Serve as the CNO Subject Matter Expert for the customer, providing deep technical insight during bi-weekly release cycles.
Gather direct operator feedback to influence the tool roadmap, ensuring we aren't just building "cool tech," but tools that work in high-stakes environments.
Analyze customer platform requirements to perform trade-off analysis (e.g., performance vs. stealth, or modularity vs. ease of deployment).
Proactively identify future integration needs based on evolving customer mission sets and platform updates.