2025 PhD Graduate - Ontologist

Do you love to build ontologies?

Are you passionate about semantic information systems?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL.

We are seeking an ontologist. As a member of our team, you'll contribute to ontologies in a variety of domains. You will be joining a hardworking team of engineers and scientists who craft and implement novel methods for solving meaningful national security challenges. We are passionate about applying knowledge representation techniques to draw insights from and enable computational analysis of large sets of structured and unstructured data.

As an Ontologist

• Your primary responsibility will be to build ontologies.
• You will engage stakeholders to determine ontology requirements
• You will work with subject matter experts to craft ontology content.
• You will contribute to quality assurance and validation practices.

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

• Possess a PhD degree in a field related to Applied Ontology (e.g. Philosophy, Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Mathematics, Logic, or Linguistics)
• Are proficient with Web Ontology Language (OWL2), Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFs), and Resource Description Framework (RDF)
• Are proficient with SPARQL
• Have a proven track record of conducting independent research within the field of ontology and knowledge representation
• Have excellent written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work with a wide range of collaborators
• Have experience building domain ontologies
• Are proficient with ontology editors (e.g., TopBraid Composer, Protege)
• Have experience with formal representations of logical reasoning and inference
• Have experience eliciting, defining, and communicating modeling requirements for domain before crafting ontologies that meet those requirements
• Have experience with multi- or intra-disciplinary collaboration.
• Are able to obtain a Secret security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You'll exceed our minimum requirements if you have...

• A Doctorate degree in a field related to Applied Ontology (e.g. Philosophy, Computer Science, Cognitive Science, Mathematics, Logic, or Linguistics)
• Experience working with a software engineering team to deliver ontology-driven software features
• Experience building domain ontologies based on a top-level ontology
• Comfort with weighing tradeoffs between semantic expressivity and project-specific implementation strategies
• Experience with any of the following: Basic Formal Ontology (BFO); The Common Core Ontologies (CCO); W3C standards such as SOSA/SSN and the Time Ontology; ontologies in the Open Biological and Biomedical (OBO) Foundry; as well as other semantic web standards, such as Dublin Core, SKOS, QUDT, and GeoSPARQL
• Experience with triple stores or graph databases (e.g., GraphDB, Stardog, Jena Fuseki)
• Experience with semantic software packages and frameworks (e.g., Jena, Sesame, RDF4J, RDFLib)
• Experience with semantic validation languages (e.g. SHACL, SPIN)
• Experience with software version management using GIT
• Experience with Python
• Experience applying ontologies in natural language processing, image processing, or in the normalization/integration of heterogeneous data sources.
• Coursework in data structures, databases, metaphysics, knowledge representation, algorithms, mathematical logic, mereotopology, or software programming

Why work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation's most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL's campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities athttp://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

APL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

APL is committed to promoting an innovative environment that embraces diversity, encourages creativity, and supports inclusion of new ideas. In doing so, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accommodations@jhuapl.edu. Only by ensuring that everyone's voice is heard are we empowered to be bold, do great things, and make the world a better place.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.