Lead Ontologist - OBIQUA

Kinsley Power Systems; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company-paid dental and health insurance

401(k) retirement plan with matching

Paid holidays and personal time off

Job summary

Celestar Corporation is seeking a Lead Ontologist to support the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the OBIQUA task order. This senior position requires demonstrated expertise in developing ontologies and experience with semantic web standards.

Key responsibilities include leading the application of RDF, OWL, and SPARQL to facilitate data integration. A Master’s degree or equivalent experience and at least 12 years in relevant fields are mandatory.

Qualifications

• 12 years of experience related to complex data systems.
• Experience within the last 2 years in ontology development.
• Ability to align with government data standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop domain-specific ontologies for DIA's OBIQUA initiative.
• Lead application of semantic web standards and data integration.
• Collaborate with stakeholders for mission alignment.

Skills

Senior-level expertise in ontologies

Semantic web technologies (RDF, OWL, SPARQL)

Technical leadership

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Ontology engineering tools

Job description

Lead Ontologist

Celestar Corporation is seeking a Lead Ontologist to support the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the Object Based Intelligence and Quality Assurance (OBIQUA) task order. The primary place of performance will be at DIA Facilities across the National Capital Region (NCR).

Anticipated Award: October 2026

Anticipated Start: October 2026

Period of Performance: 1 Base Year + 4 Option Years

Location: DIA Facilities across the National Capital Region (NCR)

Clearance Requirement: Active TS/SCI with a Current CI Poly (adjudicated within the last 5 years)

About Us: Celestar, a B&A Company, offers highly competitive salaries and benefits. Our comprehensive benefits package includes company-paid employee and family dental insurance, employee health insurance, life insurance, and disability coverage. Additionally, we provide a 401(k)-retirement plan with company matching, paid holidays, and personal time off.

Responsibilities

• Develop domain‑specific ontologies for DIA's OBIQUA initiative.
• Lead the application of semantic web standards (RDF, OWL, SPARQL) and government data standards to enable semantic representation of data inputs, facilitating integration and interoperability across intelligence systems.
• Design, develop, and maintain domain‑specific ontologies supporting intelligence and data integration initiatives.
• Apply semantic web technologies and standards, including RDF, OWL, SPARQL, and related ontology engineering methodologies.
• Develop semantic data models and knowledge representation frameworks to support interoperability across intelligence systems.
• Collaborate with data architects, AI engineers, analysts, and government stakeholders to ensure alignment with mission requirements.
• Support data integration, discovery, and knowledge management efforts through ontology‑driven solutions.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance on ontology development, semantic technologies, and emerging industry best practices.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated senior‑level expertise in developing and implementing ontologies for complex data systems.
• Experience with semantic web technologies and standards including RDF, OWL, SPARQL, SHACL, or related ontology engineering tools.
• Desired Experience: Minimum 12 years of experience related to the specific labor category with at least a portion of the experience within the last 2 years.
• Desired Education: Master’s degree in an area related to the labor category from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; or have Bachelor’s degree related to the labor category from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and an additional 5 years of related senior experience, for a total of 17 years, as a substitute to the Master’s degree.

Celestar Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Celestar Corporation prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in employment based on race, color, religion, genetic information, national origin, sex (including same-sex), sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; age; disability or handicap; citizenship status; marital status; service member/protected veteran status; or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.