---
title: 'CNO Programmer-Principal at NetSage'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/cno-programmer-principal-netsage-annapolis-junction-maryland-sn7gehyabrkd'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-05'
---

# CNO Programmer-Principal at NetSage

- **Company:** NetSage
- **Location:** Annapolis Junction Maryland, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-07-30
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05
- **Apply:** https://netsage.com/careers/current-openings/job?gh_jid=7821509003

## Job description

At NetSage, we are more than a government contractor—we are a mission-focused partner dedicated to advancing national security through exceptional cyber expertise. We believe our success begins with our people, which is why we invest in and care for our employees. We know that employee retention is mission continuity, and we are committed to building long-term careers where our people can grow alongside our customers' evolving missions. Our employees enjoy meaningful work, competitive compensation, outstanding benefits, and opportunities to expand their skills across multiple mission areas. To learn more about our comprehensive benefits and what it's like to build your career at NetSage, visit our Careers page.

Due to the sensitive nature of the work we support, some job descriptions intentionally provide a high-level overview of the role. If you'd like to learn more about a particular opportunity, we encourage you to apply directly or connect with us through our Get In Touch page. We'd be happy to discuss how your experience aligns with our mission and explore where you can make an impact.

Job Description:

We are seeking a Principal CNO Programmer to support mission-critical cybersecurity efforts by leading a team of developers in the design, development, and maintenance of CNO capabilities. In this role, you will provide technical leadership, guiding engineering teams in the creation, testing, integration, and deployment of mission-focused capabilities while ensuring solutions align with evolving operational requirements. The ideal candidate for this position will have extensive experience developing CNO capabilities, leading highly technical engineering teams, and delivering innovative software solutions that operate within complex and evolving mission environments. Please consider applying if you meet the following qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

- TS/SCI with polygraph security clearance.
- A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Computer Science or a related field and twelve (12) years of relevant experience. Also acceptable are a Doctoral degree (PH.D.) and eight (8) years, a Master of Science (M.S.) degree and ten (10) years, or no degree and sixteen (16) years of relevant experience.
- Twelve (12) years of professional experience programming in one or more of the following languages: Assembly, C, C++, C#, Perl, or Python.
- Ten (10) years of experience programming CNO tools.
- Five (5) years of experience leading, managing, and/or supervising teams in support of CNO capability development.
- Extensive knowledge of operating system internals, low-level software development, and kernel-level programming.
- Demonstrated experience developing software that interfaces with low-level Unix and/or Windows operating system internals, including runtime linkers/loaders, object file formats (e.g., PE, COFF, ELF), file system architectures (e.g., NTFS, ext2, btrfs), operating system security models, and process/thread application programming interfaces (APIs) and data structures.
- Proficiency using reverse engineering and debugging tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, OllyDbg, or similar platforms.
- Experience directing the development of new CNO solutions that meet mission demands.

## About NetSage

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: NetSage provides cyber services to the US Federal Government, focusing on engineering, vulnerability research, threat intelligence, and cyber defense.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Small Business, Subchapter S Corporation)
- **Headquarters**: Annapolis, Maryland, United States
- **Founded**: October 2006 (federally registered November 2006)
- **Founders**: Not publicly available

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Cybersecurity / Computer and Network Security / Federal Government Contracting
- **Target customers**: US Federal Government (Department of Defense, USCYBERCOM, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury)
- **Mission statement**: "To achieve customer missions with superior cyber services."

## Products & Services
NetSage does not publicly list specific product names. Instead, it offers services across several core focus areas:
- **Cyber Engineering and Development**: Software development, network engineering, and security architecture for government systems.
- **Vulnerability Research**: Reverse engineering, protocol analysis, and risk/vulnerability assessments.
- **Threat and Intelligence Analysis**: Cyber threat intelligence, host analysis, intrusion detection, and incident response.
- **Cyber Defense**: Computer network defense, cyber hunt, and high-value asset (HVA) assessments.
- **Mission Training**: Training and mission support for cyber operations.
- **CNO (Computer Network Operations)**: Offensive and defensive cyber operations support.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: **Total Funding**: Not disclosed (bootstrapped or self-funded via government contracts). **Employees**: 28 (+9.4% YoY growth). **Active Job Postings**: 10 (as of mid-2026).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: No external investors listed. Key clients include the Department of Defense, USCYBERCOM, IRS, and Department of the Treasury. Holds a GSA Schedule contract for cybersecurity services.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 9.4% year-over-year; job postings increased 233.3% quarterly and yearly, signaling aggressive hiring in AI/ML, cloud, and software engineering roles.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Clearance and Vetting**: Employs many Veterans and former Government Civilians, with deep talent pipelines from US Army, US Air Force, US Navy, and the National Security Agency. This gives them a ready pool of cleared talent.
- **Specialized Focus**: A small, agile company dedicated exclusively to high-stakes US Federal cyber missions, avoiding the bureaucracy of larger defense contractors.
- **Intentionally Low Profile**: Avoids publicizing detailed capabilities, which aligns with the operational security needs of their clients and makes them a trusted partner for sensitive work.
- **GSA Schedule Holder**: Holds a GSA Schedule contract, simplifying the procurement process for government clients.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI/ML Integration**: Aggressively hiring AI Analytic Software Engineers and AI Software Engineers, indicating a push to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning into their cyber service offerings.
- **Cloud Engineering**: Multiple open positions for Cloud Software Engineers (Principal and Senior level), suggesting a focus on cloud-native cyber defense and development.
- **Talent Acquisition**: A significant increase in job postings (233% YoY) points to a strategic growth phase, likely to win new contracts or expand existing mission support.
- **Full Spectrum Cyber**: Their stated vision is to "offer services across the entire cyber spectrum," indicating a long-term goal of becoming a one-stop shop for all federal cyber needs.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Work**: Employees directly support critical US Federal Government cyber missions, including national security and defense. The company emphasizes serving its customers and values its employees as a privilege.
- **Veteran-Friendly Culture**: A high percentage of employees are Veterans and former Government Civilians, creating a culture of service and shared experience.
- **In-Office Policy**: All roles are in-office (Annapolis Junction and Annapolis, MD), fostering a collaborative environment for sensitive work.
- **Growth Opportunities**: Rapid hiring in senior and principal-level roles (AI, Cloud, CNO) suggests strong internal growth and advancement potential for cleared talent.
- **Small Company Agility**: With only 28 employees, individuals have significant impact and responsibility, unlike at large primes like Booz Allen or SAIC (common alumni destinations).
- **Competitive Perks**: While not publicly detailed, the company hosts annual holiday parties and participates in community events (AFCEA golf tournaments supporting STEM scholarships).
- **Open Roles** (as of mid-2026): CNO Developer, AI Analytic Software Engineer, Full Stack Software Developer, Cloud Software Engineer, Exploitation Analyst, Digital Network Exploitation Analyst, and Computer Network Defense Analyst.

## Sources
1. [netsage.com](https://netsage.com/)
2. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/netsage)
3. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/netsage)
4. [highergov.com](https://www.highergov.com/awardee/netsage-corporation-13197895/)
5. [theorg.com](https://theorg.com/org/netsage)

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