Ontologist – Expert System Integrator - TS/SCI Clearance Required

Core Csi; Springfield, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

CORE-CSI, a Sterling, VA-based tech firm, seeks an Ontologist – Expert System Integrator to lead systems integration, ontology development, and mission-focused technical leadership across government, industry, and multi-contractor environments. The role spans SDLC activities, requirements translation, and architecture governance for Foundation GEOINT capabilities.

The candidate will drive solution designs, automate workflows, and collaborate with data offices and product teams to deliver

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 18+ years of relevant experience as a Systems Integrator.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice to the Government regarding vision, strategy, plans, mission needs, requirements, processes, and capability development.
• Lead and oversee systems integration activities across the NSG/ASG systems-of-systems enterprise.
• Conduct solution assessments, scheduling analyses, and integration activities across IPO product lines and supporting services to enable mission functions.
• Translate mission and customer requirements into products, services, and capabilities that support optimized solutions.
• Partner with Product Managers on backlog grooming, feature prioritization, and roadmap sequencing.
• Plan, capture, analyze, and trace user requirements and architecture relationships throughout the system development life cycle.
• Identify opportunities to automate or improve existing systems, workflows, processes, and capabilities.
• Evaluate cloud service capabilities, workflows, scheduling constraints, and limitations to identify opportunities for mission and operational improvements.
• Provide subject matter expertise in interpreting and implementing customer data requirements.
• Collaborate effectively with IPOs, the Chief Data Officer (CDO), and other CIOT capability providers to advance Content Conveyance objectives.
• Support Analysis of Alternatives (AoAs), Courses of Action (CoAs), trade studies, engineering assessments, and other technical decision-support activities.
• Lead technical teams in the design, implementation, and governance of ontology processes and frameworks that guide the creation, management, evolution, and use of Foundation GEOINT in accordance with organizational requirements.
• Provide expert-level systems integration and systems engineering support across planning, implementation, testing, documentation, and sustainment activities.
• Assist the Government with strategic technical planning, project management, performance engineering, risk management, and interface design.
• Provide end-to-end support across the system development life cycle using established processes, methodologies, and tools.
• Develop technical approaches that shorten the timeline for adopting, integrating, and appropriately exposing new source and supplier products and services.
• Develop and evaluate trade-space options to support efficient planning, programming, budgeting, and execution cycles.
• Maintain and track Agile schedules using project management and collaboration tools such as JIRA and Confluence.
• Work effectively both independently and as a technical leader while managing competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Collaborate across Government and multiple contractor organizations in a complex, multifaceted development environment.

Skills

Systems integration

Leadership

Clearance TS/SCI

Communication

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering

18+ years of Systems Integrator experience

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

About CORE-CSI

CORE-CSI is a small business headquartered in Sterling, Virginia. We provide trusted, results-oriented expertise to the Intelligence Community (IC), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other federal and commercial customers across the United States.

Position Overview

The Ontologist – Expert System Integrator will provide expert-level systems integration, systems engineering, ontology development, and mission-focused technical leadership to support the adoption, integration, and effective use of new sources, suppliers, products, and services.

The successful candidate will provide end-to-end support throughout the system development life cycle (SDLC), including planning, requirements analysis, architecture, implementation, testing, documentation, governance, and sustainment. The role requires the ability to translate complex mission and customer needs into integrated products and capabilities while developing practical trade-space options that support efficient planning, programming, budgeting, and execution.

This position offers an opportunity for a highly experienced technical professional to work across Government, industry, and multi-contractor environments while helping shape ontology frameworks and integrated capabilities supporting Foundation GEOINT and related mission functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice to the Government regarding vision, strategy, plans, mission needs, requirements, processes, and capability development.
• Lead and oversee systems integration activities across the NSG/ASG systems-of-systems enterprise.
• Conduct solution assessments, scheduling analyses, and integration activities across IPO product lines and supporting services to enable mission functions.
• Translate mission and customer requirements into products, services, and capabilities that support optimized solutions.
• Partner with Product Managers on backlog grooming, feature prioritization, and roadmap sequencing.
• Plan, capture, analyze, and trace user requirements and architecture relationships throughout the system development life cycle.
• Identify opportunities to automate or improve existing systems, workflows, processes, and capabilities.
• Evaluate cloud service capabilities, workflows, scheduling constraints, and limitations to identify opportunities for mission and operational improvements.
• Provide subject matter expertise in interpreting and implementing customer data requirements.
• Collaborate effectively with IPOs, the Chief Data Officer (CDO), and other CIOT capability providers to advance Content Conveyance objectives.
• Support Analysis of Alternatives (AoAs), Courses of Action (CoAs), trade studies, engineering assessments, and other technical decision-support activities.
• Lead technical teams in the design, implementation, and governance of ontology processes and frameworks that guide the creation, management, evolution, and use of Foundation GEOINT in accordance with organizational requirements.
• Provide expert-level systems integration and systems engineering support across planning, implementation, testing, documentation, and sustainment activities.
• Assist the Government with strategic technical planning, project management, performance engineering, risk management, and interface design.
• Provide end-to-end support across the system development life cycle using established processes, methodologies, and tools.
• Develop technical approaches that shorten the timeline for adopting, integrating, and appropriately exposing new source and supplier products and services.
• Develop and evaluate trade-space options to support efficient planning, programming, budgeting, and execution cycles.
• Maintain and track Agile schedules using project management and collaboration tools such as JIRA and Confluence.
• Work effectively both independently and as a technical leader while managing competing priorities and tight deadlines.
• Collaborate across Government and multiple contractor organizations in a complex, multifaceted development environment.

• Operationalize and continuously improve the Innovation Analytics methodology, an AI- and ML-enabled approach for identifying, classifying, and analyzing innovation across organizational portfolios.
• Combine ontology-based concepts, semantic embeddings, LLM-assisted analysis, natural language processing (NLP), and statistical and machine-learning methods across structured and unstructured operational and knowledge data.
• Design and develop algorithms and implement systems to solve complex interdisciplinary problems.
• Perform data exploration, data cleaning, data analysis, data visualization, and data mining.
• Analyze both structured and unstructured data to identify trends, relationships, and actionable insights.
• Apply statistical and general-purpose programming languages and tools for data analysis.
• Develop predictive data models, quantitative analyses, and visualizations for targeted data sources.
• Translate loosely defined or high-level requirements into practical analytical and technical solutions.
• Establish priorities and manage multiple dynamic projects independently or as part of a technical team in support of evolving national security requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Systems Engineering or a related technical or scientific field, including engineering, physics, mathematics, operations research, engineering management, computer science, information technology, management information systems, ontologies, or a related STEM discipline; or 18+ years of relevant experience as a Systems Integrator.
• 18+ years of relevant experience in Government or industry, including experience in areas such as:
  • DoD/IC acquisition processes
  • Requirements processes
  • NGA production and dissemination
  • IC TCPED
• Expert-level systems integration and/or systems engineering experience in Government or industry.
• TS/SCI clearance, with the ability to successfully complete any additional customer-required clearance or suitability requirements, including a polygraph if required.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in Government and multi-contractor environments.
• Strong communication, collaboration, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate independently and lead technical teams in a deadline-driven environment.
• Experience working with loosely defined or high-level requirements and translating them into actionable technical solutions.

Desired Qualifications

• Expert-level proficiency with Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) frameworks and demonstrated experience implementing Common Core Ontologies (CCO).
• Working knowledge of Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) processes, tools, and languages.
• Working knowledge of software development frameworks and methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience in Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT).
• Working knowledge of photogrammetry, remote sensing, image science, and information science.
• Experience with Agile development methodologies and tools, including JIRA and Confluence.
• Experience developing, governing, and maintaining ontology frameworks in complex enterprise environments.
• Experience integrating data, systems, services, and capabilities across Government mission environments.
• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering or technical discipline.
• Proven experience designing and developing algorithms and implementing systems to solve interdisciplinary problems.
• Experience with statistical or general-purpose programming languages used for data analysis.
• Experience developing predictive models, quantitative analyses, and data visualizations.

EEO Statement

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, "protected statuses"). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.