National Security Ontology Engineer

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 100,000 - 245,000; Full time

Job summary

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks an ontology-focused engineer/scientist to join the Threat Analytic Systems group. You will build ontologies and capabilities that bridge data, real-world events, and predictive insights for national security missions.

Responsibilities include engaging stakeholders, crafting ontology content with subject matter experts, and contributing to QA/validation processes. APL offers a collaborative culture and opportunities for growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Ontology-related field or closely related discipline.
• Proficiency with OWL, RDF(S), and RDF.
• Experience crafting SPARQL queries.
• Experience building domain ontologies.
• Familiar with ontology editors (e.g., TopBraid Composer, Protege, ROBOT) or editing tools (rdflib, Apache Jena, Sesame, RDF4J).
• Able to work from loosely defined requirements and handle multiple dynamic projects.
• Strong problem solving, analytical and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• U.S. citizenship with ability to obtain TS/SCI+poly security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Build ontologies and capabilities for national security mission needs.
• Engage stakeholders to determine ontology requirements.
• Work with subject matter experts to craft ontology content.
• Contribute to and implement QA and validation practices.

Skills

Ontology engineering

OWL & RDF

SPARQL

Domain ontologies

Ontology editors

Requirements handling

Multi-projects

Communication skills

Citizenship/clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Ontology-related field

Master's degree in Ontology-related field

Tools

TopBraid Composer

Protege

ROBOT

rdflib

Apache Jena

Sesame

RDF4J

Job description

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks an ontology-focused engineer/scientist to join the Threat Analytic Systems group. You will build ontologies and capabilities that bridge data, real-world events, and predictive insights for national security missions.

Responsibilities include engaging stakeholders, crafting ontology content with subject matter experts, and contributing to QA/validation processes. APL offers a collaborative culture and opportunities for growth.