Lead Ontologist

Black Canyon Consulting•Bethesda, MD

4d•Remote

About The Position

Black Canyon Consulting (BCC) is searching for a Lead Ontologist supporting the delivery of knowledge-first systems. We turn fragmented scientific and enterprise data into structured, reusable knowledge assets. These systems are designed to support explainable reasoning, governed analytics, and trustworthy AI. The approach starts with the questions that matter and builds toward the semantics required to address them. We define competency questions as the contract for what a system must be able to answer, design queries that satisfy those questions, and derive schema and data transformations from there. The result is modular, minimal, and grounded systems that can be explained, validated, and extended over time. BCC is seeking a Lead Ontologist to execute and help shape this approach. This role sits at the boundary between business understanding and technical implementation. You will work with stakeholders to clarify use cases, define competency questions, and translate those into semantic models, schemas, and query patterns. You will design and build models using LinkML and RDF/OWL, define query skeletons, and ensure that data transformation aligns with the intent of the question. You will also play a visible role in communicating results, both internally and with clients, explaining what the system can answer and why. This is a remote-first role, with a preference for U.S.-based candidates working East Coast hours. Travel is limited, generally no more than once per month, and focused on design workshops or key client interactions. Depending on experience, you may lead these sessions directly or work alongside senior team members.

Requirements

Strong experience with semantic standards: RDF, RDFS, OWL
SPARQL, including query design
SHACL, with clear understanding of constraints versus semantics
Experience designing and working with ontologies in real-world systems
Understanding and practical experience with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) Data
Demonstrated ability to translate business problems into structured representations, including use cases, questions, and models
Strong communication skills, able to explain technical concepts to non-experts and bridge technology and business needs
Comfortable working in an iterative, ambiguous environment with evolving requirements

Nice To Haves

Experience with LinkML
Understanding of Labeled Property Graphs (LPG) and OpenCypher
Experience with vocabulary standards such as SKOS
Experience with data catalog and data product standards, including DCAT and DPROD
Background in life sciences or pharma, including translational medicine, clinical data, or real-world data
Familiarity with BioLink and other domain models
Experience with bioinformatics and biomedical ontology resources
Experience with data profiling, reconciliation, and mapping processes
Experience with knowledge graph platforms or graph databases
Experience in client-facing roles such as workshops, design sessions, and presentations

Responsibilities

Strong experience with semantic standards: RDF, RDFS, OWL
SPARQL, including query design
SHACL, with clear understanding of constraints versus semantics
Experience designing and working with ontologies in real-world systems
Understanding and practical experience with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) Data
Demonstrated ability to translate business problems into structured representations, including use cases, questions, and models
Strong communication skills, able to explain technical concepts to non-experts and bridge technology and business needs
Comfortable working in an iterative, ambiguous environment with evolving requirements