Knowledge Modeler / Ontologist Associate Manager

Accenture; City of Albany (NY); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Accenture is seeking an experienced Knowledge Modeler/Ontologist to design and govern domain ontologies for enterprise knowledge graphs. You will translate business domains into formal, standards‑compliant semantic models and collaborate with data engineering and AI/ML teams.

You will lead ontology lifecycle activities, ensure alignment with business goals, and coach SMEs on competency questions to validate scope. This hybrid role requires travel to client locations.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years hands-on ontology engineering, knowledge modeling, or related semantic web discipline.
• Minimum 3 years delivering domain ontologies in enterprise or consulting contexts.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Science, Computer Science, Library Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead ontology design, governance, and deployment across enterprise knowledge graphs.
• Collaborate with business SMEs, data engineering, and AI/ML teams to align semantic models with goals.
• Coach stakeholders in developing competency questions to test scope.
• Apply W3C standards, SHACL/ShEx validation, and ontology governance practices.
• Map relational data to semantic models and support data integration with R2RML/RML.

Skills

OWL 2

RDF

RDFS

SKOS

SHACL

SPARQL

Knowledge Graph

Protégé

Ontotext

GraphDB

Stardog

Neo4j

R2RML

RML

Competency Questions

Upper Ontologies

BFO

schema.org

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s in Information Science

Tools

Protégé

Ontotext

GraphDB

Stardog

Neo4j

Job description

Accenture is a global professional services and solutions company that helps leading organizations reinvent with digital, cloud, data, and AI capabilities, drawing on its large global workforce, industry expertise, and ecosystem partnerships to create 360° value.

By combining hands‑on engineering with deep industry context, we help organizations build their digital core, modernize operations, unlock value from data and AI, and deliver tangible business outcomes at speed and scale.

You Are

We are seeking an experienced Knowledge Modeler / Ontologist to contribute to domain ontology design, governance, and delivery for enterprise knowledge graph initiatives. Working collaboratively within a team and under the guidance of an ontology governance framework, this role bridges business stakeholders, data engineering, and AI/ML teams – translating complex business domains into rigorous, standards-compliant semantic models that power intelligent applications.

Key Responsibilities

Ontology Design & Development:

• Lead the full ontology lifecycle supporting a defined project scope: requirements gathering, conceptual modeling, formal specification (OWL 2, RDFS, SKOS), validation, and deployment
• Design T-Box (schema) structures and contribute to A-Box (instance) hydration patterns across structured and unstructured data sources
• Apply and uphold established naming conventions, URI strategies, and modular ontology architecture principles
• Apply advanced modeling patterns where appropriate (e.g., reification, n-ary relations, punning) in consultation with senior team members
• Create and evolve ontologies, taxonomies, and vocabularies using standards including OWL, RDF, RDFS, and SKOS
• Map traditional data structures (e.g., relational databases) into semantic frameworks
• Build and maintain knowledge graphs to support reasoning, discovery, and advanced analytics
• Ensure models align with business goals, regulatory requirements, and data governance practices
• Coach the business (SMEs and stakeholders) in developing and validating competency questions to guide and test ontology scope and correctness
• Maintain awareness of relevant upper ontologies (e.g., BFO, schema.org) and apply alignment patterns as appropriate

Stakeholder Engagement

• Facilitate business SME workshops with BA support to elicit domain concepts, relationships, and competency questions
• Translate ambiguous business language into precise, machine-readable semantics
• Communicate modeling decisions to non-technical stakeholders in accessible terms
• Support feedback loops between business validation and ontology iteration

Technical Contribution

• Apply ontology governance standards: version control, change management, and quality gates (W3C compliance, SHACL/ShEx validation)
• Define and enforce Definition of Done criteria for ontology deliverables in collaboration with the senior team
• Apply R2RML / RML mapping strategies for structured data integration
• Collaborate with Entity Extraction / NLP teams on ontology‑guided information extraction from unstructured sources
• Collaborate with knowledge graph hydration, testing, and validation against competency questions

Team Collaboration & Delivery

• Work effectively within cross-functional delivery teams spanning Data Engineering, AI/ML, Product, and Business SMEs
• Collaborate with and support junior team members, sharing knowledge and modeling approaches
• Meet delivery timelines and proactively flag dependencies or risks to senior ontologist or project lead
• Provide accurate and achievable estimates for ontology-related work and contribute to roadmap planning as part of the broader project scope

Key Skills And Competencies

• Ontology Engineering: Proficiency in OWL 2, RDF, RDFS, SKOS, SHACL, and SPARQL for building and validating semantic models
• Semantic Web Standards: Working knowledge of W3C standards and best practices for linked data and knowledge representation
• Knowledge Graph Development: Experience designing and querying knowledge graphs using tools such as GraphDB, Stardog, or Neo4j
• Tooling: Hands‑on experience with ontology authoring tools such as Protégé or Ontotext
• Data Integration: Familiarity with R2RML or RML for mapping relational or semi‑structured sources into semantic models
• Competency Question Development: Ability to formulate and use competency questions to scope, validate, and iterate on ontological models
• Upper Ontology Awareness: Familiarity with upper ontologies such as BFO, DOLCE, or schema.org and their role in interoperability
• Communication & Collaboration: Ability to translate complex technical concepts into business‑friendly language and engage effectively with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders

This role is hybrid in nature and will require time in office and traveling to client locations. Travel can be between 20-80%.

Here’s What You Need

• Minimum 3 years of hands‑on experience in ontology engineering, knowledge modeling, or a closely related semantic web discipline
• Minimum 3 years demonstrable experience delivering domain ontologies in an enterprise or consulting context
• Bachelor’s in Information Science, Computer Science, Library Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Information Science, Computer Science, Library Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience
• Experience working in Agile or iterative delivery environments preferred

Role Location Annual Salary Range

• California $73,800 to $220,400
• Colorado $73,800 to $190,400
• Connecticut $73,800 to $190,400
• District of Columbia $78,500 to $202,700
• Illinois $68,300 to $190,400
• Maine $62,800 to $162,200
• Maryland $73,800 to $190,400
• Massachusetts $73,800 to $202,700
• Minnesota $73,800 to $190,400
• New York $68,300 to $220,400
• New Jersey $78,500 to $220,400
• Ohio $68,300 to $176,300
• Virginia $68,300 to $202,700
• Washington $80,200 to $202,700

Locations

• Arlington, VA
• Albany, NY
• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX
• Beaverton, OR
• Bentonville, AR
• Boston, MA
• Carmel, IN
• Charlotte, NC
• Chicago, IL
• Cincinnati, OH
• Cleveland, OH
• Columbus, OH
• Culver City, CA
• Denver, CO
• Des Moines, IA
• Detroit, MI
• Hartford, CT
• Houston, TX
• Irving, TX
• Kirkland, WA
• Miami, FL
• Milwaukee, WI
• Minneapolis, MN
• Morristown, NJ
• Mountain View, CA
• Nashville, TN
• New York City, NY
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Overland Park, KS
• Philadelphia, PA
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Raleigh, NC
• Redmond, WA
• Sacramento, CA
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Scottsdale, AZ
• St. Louis, MO
• St. Petersburg, FL
• Walnut Creek, CA

Requesting an Accommodation

Accenture is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired.

If you would like to be considered for employment opportunities with Accenture and have accommodation needs such as for a disability or religious observance, please call us toll free at 1 [phone] or send us an email or speak with your recruiter.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients, and our communities.

For details, view a copy of the Accenture Equal Opportunity Statement

Accenture is an EEO and affirmative Action Employer of Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.

Accenture is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women.

Other Employment Statements

Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.

Candidates who are currently employed by a client of Accenture and an affiliated Accenture business may not be eligible for consideration.

Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process. Further, at Accenture a criminal conviction history is not an absolute bar to employment.

The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Additionally, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company's legal duty to furnish information.

California requires additional notifications for applicants and employees. If you are a California resident, live in or plan to work from Los Angeles County upon being hired for this position, please click here for additional important information.

Please read Accenture’s Recruiting and Hiring Statement for more information on how we process your data during the Recruiting and Hiring process.

We work with one shared purpose: to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity. Every day, more than 775,000 of us help our stakeholders continuously reinvent. Together, we drive positive change and deliver value to our clients, partners, shareholders, communities, and each other.

We believe that delivering value requires innovation, and innovation thrives in an inclusive and diverse environment. We actively foster a workplace free from bias, where everyone feels a sense of belonging and is respected and empowered to do their best work.

At Accenture, we see well‑being holistically, supporting our people’s physical, mental, and financial health. We also provide opportunities to keep skills relevant through certifications, learning, and diverse work experiences. We’re proud to be consistently recognized as one of the World’s Best Workplaces.

Join Accenture to work at the heart of change. Visit us at www.accenture.com.