Ontology Specialist

SBM Offshore; Marche; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

SBM Offshore seeks an Ontology specialist to design semantic data models and knowledge graphs for enterprise AI initiatives. You will shape data representations, enable interoperability, and support LLM-driven analytics across the organization.

Responsibilities include building ontologies, entity resolution, APIs for semantic search, and embedding strategies with data engineers and data scientists. Strong RDF/OWL, SPARQL, and graph DB experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/DS/IS or related field; ontology focus preferred.
• Hands-on in RDF/OWL and SPARQL is required.
• Experience building knowledge graphs and taxonomies.
• Familiar with graph databases and LLM integration.

Responsibilities

• Design ontologies and graph schemas to model enterprise relationships.
• Implement entity resolution and relationship inference across data sources.
• Build APIs and interfaces for graph traversal and semantic search.
• Optimize graph storage and query performance at scale.
• Develop and maintain enterprise glossary and ontology.
• Ensure alignment between business semantics and data models.
• Collaborate to integrate semantic logic into pipelines.
• Establish data domain ownership and stewardship frameworks.
• Prepare structured data for LLM consumption and embeddings.
• Collaborate with Data Scientist on embedding strategies.

Skills

Ontology development

Semantic technologies

Knowledge graphs

Taxonomies

Data modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/DS/IS or related field

Advanced certifications in ontology development/semantic web

Master's degree in Data Management/Information Science (preferred)

Tools

Neo4j

Qdrant

Pinecone

Fuseki

Protégé

TopBraid

RDF

OWL

SPARQL

LangChain

Python

SQL

Azure Data Factory

Synapse

Fabric

Job description

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Imagine your career taking you to the depths of innovation and the heights of impact. Our people enable continuous progress. Their commitment, collective expertise, and unique capabilities are the engine room behind SBM Offshore’s True. Blue. Transition. - shaping the future of energy, and beyond.
About Us:
SBM Offshore is a global leader in deepwater ocean infrastructure, delivering floating production solutions across the full asset lifecycle—from design and construction to installation and operation. Supported by a global team of more than 8,000 professionals, the Company operates a long-term, asset-backed business model that delivers high-availability assets and predictable cash flows. SBM Offshore combines engineering expertise, operational reliability, and selective innovation to support safe, efficient, and lower-carbon energy production, while extending its capabilities into new opportunities across the blue economy.

Purpose

• As an Ontology specialist, you are responsible for designing and implementing semantic data models and knowledge graphs that enable advanced data integration, interoperability, and AI-driven insights across the enterprise. This role ensures that structured and unstructured data is organized, accessible, and optimized for analytics, machine learning, and large language model (LLM) applications.

Responsibilities

• Design ontologies and graph schemas to represent complex enterprise relationships.
• Implement entity resolution and relationship inference across diverse data sources.
• Build APIs and query interfaces for graph traversal and semantic search.
• Optimize graph storage and query performance for large-scale usage.
• Develop and maintain enterprise business glossary and ontology.
• Ensure alignment between business semantics and physical data models.
• Collaborate with data engineers and architects to integrate semantic logic into pipelines.
• Establish data domain ownership and stewardship frameworks.
• Prepare structured and contextual data for LLM consumption.
• Collaborate with Data Scientist to design embedding strategies and manage vector databases for semantic search.
• Build memory and context management systems for stateful AI applications.
• Document and communicate semantic standards and best practices.
• Implement validation processes to maintain semantic integrity.
• Promote data literacy by educating teams on ontology and semantic concepts.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or related field. Advanced certifications or coursework in ontology development, semantic web technologies, or information architecture (e.g., Certified Knowledge Manager, DAMA). Preferred: Master's degree in Data Management, Business Analytics, or Information Science. Formal training in RDF, OWL, SPARQL, and semantic modeling tools (e.g., Protégé, TopBraid).

Experience

• Minimum 5+ years in data engineering, information management, or knowledge management.
• Hands-on experience in ontology development and semantic technologies (RDF, OWL, SPARQL).
• Proven track record in building and managing knowledge graphs and taxonomies.
• Familiarity with graph databases (Neo4j), vector databases (Qdrant, Pinecone), triple stores (fusekis) and LLM frameworks (LangChain).
• Strong programming skills in Python and SQL; experience with ETL/ELT pipelines and orchestration tools (Azure Data Factory, Synapse, Fabric.
• Exposure to AI/ML data preparation and hybrid search strategies.

Analytics and reporting

Business Acumen

Compliance

Data collection and entry

Data Management

Data Modelling and treatment

Digital savvy

GENERAL INFORMATION

SBM Offshore N.V. is a listed holding company that is headquartered in Amsterdam. It holds direct and indirect interests in other companies that collectively with SBM Offshore N.V. form the SBM Offshore Group (“the Company”). For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V., directly and indirectly, owns investments are separate entities.

SBM Offshore is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affi... SBM Offshore does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.