Database Engineer (TS/SCI)

InvestedintheMission; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Mental health resources

Student loan repayment assistance

Adoption reimbursement

Pet insurance

Job summary

Vantor is seeking a Database Engineer to design, develop, implement, and maintain the database infrastructure supporting OBI mission requirements, ontologies, and knowledge graph platforms.

This role requires designing scalable data architectures for Semantic Web technologies, graph and semantic databases, and ensuring high availability, security, and data integrity across enterprise systems.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen with an active TS/SCI and CI polygraph.
• Extensive experience designing and administering enterprise database solutions.
• Experience with relational and graph databases and Semantic Web/knowledge graphs.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, administer, and optimize relational, graph, and semantic database environments supporting mission requirements.
• Develop data models for ontologies, taxonomies, knowledge graphs, and metadata management.
• Build scalable DB architectures supporting Semantic Web tech and SPARQL endpoints.
• Develop ETL/ELT processes integrating diverse data sources into knowledge platforms.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders to translate requirements into efficient designs.

Skills

PostgreSQL

Oracle

SQL Server

Graph databases

RDF/semantic databases

ETL/ELT development

Knowledge graphs

Stakeholder communication

Education

Advanced degree or 17+ years with bachelor's

Tools

Kubernetes

OpenShift

AWS

Azure

CI/CD IaC tooling

Job description

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters—where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Citizen. This position requires an active U.S. Government security clearance, applicants who do not currently hold the required clearance will not be eligible for consideration. Employment for cleared roles is contingent upon verification of clearance status.

Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Please review the job details below.

Vantor is seeking a Database Engineer to join our team. In this position you will design, develop, implement, and maintain the database infrastructure supporting Object-Based Intelligence (OBI) mission requirements, enterprise ontologies, and knowledge graph platforms. The Database Engineer serves as the technical authority for the design, implementation, optimization, and administration of relational, graph, and semantic database technologies that enable ontology-driven data integration and knowledge management. This position develops scalable data architectures that support Semantic Web technologies, knowledge graphs, and AI/ML-enabled analytics while ensuring high availability, security, performance, and data integrity across enterprise object-management systems. Working closely with ontology engineers, software developers, data architects, and Government stakeholders, the Database Engineer enables efficient storage, retrieval, and management of structured and unstructured data supporting mission operations.

Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, administer, and optimize relational, graph, and semantic database environments supporting Object-Based Intelligence mission requirements.
• Develop logical and physical data models that support ontologies, taxonomies, knowledge graphs, and enterprise metadata management.
• Design and implement scalable database architectures that support Semantic Web technologies, including RDF triple stores, graph databases, and SPARQL query endpoints.
• Develop and maintain Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) and Extract, Load, Transform (ELT) processes that integrate heterogeneous data sources into enterprise knowledge management platforms.
• Collaborate with ontology engineers, software developers, data scientists, analysts, and Government stakeholders to translate mission requirements into efficient database designs and data integration solutions.
• Optimize database performance through indexing strategies, query optimization, partitioning, replication, and capacity planning to support large-scale analytics and semantic reasoning workloads.
• Implement database security controls, encryption, access management, backup and recovery procedures, and auditing capabilities in accordance with Government cybersecurity requirements.
• Develop database automation, monitoring, and maintenance processes to ensure high availability, reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Support AI/ML initiatives by providing scalable data infrastructure and optimized access to structured, semi-structured, and semantic data repositories.
• Produce and maintain technical documentation, database standards, data dictionaries, configuration management artifacts, and operational procedures.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and knowledge transfer activities to Government personnel and project team members regarding database architecture, administration, and data management best practices.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. citizen and have an active TS/SCI with CI polygraph.
• 12 years of experience and an advanced degree or 17 years of experience with a bachelor's degree.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and administering enterprise database solutions supporting mission-critical applications.
• Experience with relational database management systems (e.g., PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server) and graph database technologies (e.g., Neo4j, Amazon Neptune, Stardog, GraphDB, or equivalent).
• Experience designing and optimizing databases supporting Semantic Web technologies, RDF data stores, or knowledge graph platforms.
• Experience developing ETL/ELT processes and integrating structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data from multiple enterprise sources.
• Knowledge of database performance tuning, indexing, backup and recovery, replication, security, and high-availability architectures.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting enterprise ontology or knowledge graph initiatives within Government or Intelligence Community environments.
• Experience implementing RDF triple stores, SPARQL endpoints, and semantic data integration frameworks.
• Familiarity with AI/ML data pipelines and the use of semantic data architectures to support advanced analytics and decision support.
• Experience with cloud-based database platforms and containerized deployment environments, including Kubernetes and OpenShift.
• Experience automating database deployment, configuration management, and monitoring using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools.
• Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP), Oracle Certified Professional (OCP), Microsoft Certified: Azure Database Administrator Associate, AWS Database Specialty, or equivalent database certification.
• Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring, and formal knowledge transfer to Government personnel or large multidisciplinary teams.

Pay Transparency:

To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role.

The base pay for this position within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is: $140,000.00 - $187,000.00 - $205,700.00 annually.

For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

Benefits:

Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers

EEO Policy:

Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.