Ontology Manager

Nscale; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Nscale is searching for an Ontology Manager to own and evolve the organisational ontology at the heart of Foundry implementation. This high‑visibility role reports to the Nirvana Programme Lead and partners with Use Case Leads, Data Source Developers, the Data Lead, and Data Governance teams.

As the SME on data architecture, you will hold the long‑term strategic view of the ontology, prioritise change requests, and shape how real‑world operations are modeled and made available across the

Qualifications

• 8+ years in data architecture, ontology design, or related fields.
• 3+ years overseeing complex cross-functional data initiatives.
• Experience designing conceptual, logical, or semantic data models.
• Hands-on with data pipelines and production data workflows.
• Strong knowledge of databases, schemas, metadata, and data quality.
• Experience partnering with engineering, governance and business teams.
• Excellent communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own the development of the ontology as the single consumption point for workflow projects.
• Manage the ontology backlog, prioritising change requests to other teams.
• Evaluate new ontology change requests and assess impact on roadmap.
• Collaborate with Use Case Leads and Data Source Developers on data sources.
• Influence new use-case architecture to align with ontology and programme strategy.
• Maintain the ontology and develop understanding of data sources for each use case.
• Work with Data Governance to ensure governance of ontology access.
• Develop scalable governance checks in ontology development and maintenance.
• Align ontology development with the programme-wide roadmap with Ontology Lead.

Skills

Ontology design

Data architecture

Data modelling

Data pipelines

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

Palantir Foundry

Knowledge graphs

Job description

About Nscale

Nscale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI, offering cost‑effective, high‑performance infrastructure for start‑ups and large enterprise customers. By simplifying AI development, our GPU cloud boosts technical capabilities and supports strategic business outcomes such as cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility.

We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member is encouraged to build trust through openness and transparency and to deliver excellence with urgency.

About The Role

We’re looking for an Ontology Manager to own and evolve the organisational ontology at the heart of Nscale’s Foundry implementation—the single consumption point through which all workflow projects access structured, governed data. This central, high‑visibility role reports to the Nirvana Programme Lead and partners closely with Use Case Leads, Data Source Developers, the Data Lead, and Data Governance and Compliance teams.

As the subject‑matter expert on data architecture, you will hold the long‑term strategic view of the ontology, prioritise change requests, and shape how real‑world operations are modelled and made available across the platform.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Own the development of the ontology, ensuring it serves as the single consumption point for all workflow projects.
• Manage the ontology backlog, prioritising and triaging change requests to other teams.
• Evaluate new object and ontology change requests, assessing their impact on the broader organisational ontology and roadmap.
• Partner with Use Case Leads and Data Source Developers on requests for new data sources to be ingested into Foundry.
• Take a central role in new use‑case architecture and data‑sourcing discussions to ensure alignment with the existing ontology and programme strategy.
• Maintain the ontology and develop a deep understanding of relevant data sources for each use case.
• Collaborate with Data Source Developers to plan integration into the ontology and support use‑case teams.
• Work with Data Governance and Compliance teams to ensure access to the ontology and data sources follows internal governance procedures.
• Develop scalable processes for governance checks in ontology development and maintenance.
• Align ontology development with the programme‑wide roadmap and long‑term strategy in conjunction with the Ontology Lead and Data Lead.

Basic Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in data architecture, ontology design, data modelling, data engineering, analytics engineering, enterprise data platforms, or a related field.
• 3+ years overseeing complex cross‑functional data initiatives.
• Experience designing conceptual, logical, or semantic data models.
• Hands‑on experience with data pipelines and production data workflows.
• Strong knowledge of databases, schemas, metadata, and data quality.
• Experience partnering across engineering, operations, governance and business teams.
• Excellent communication with technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Palantir Foundry, semantic layers, ontologies, or knowledge graphs.
• Experience in AI, cloud infrastructure, or high‑growth technology companies.
• Experience with data governance, lineage, and access controls.
• Track record of influencing senior stakeholders.

What We Can Offer You

• Highly competitive package (base + equity) with reviews every 12 months.
• Opportunity to work at the fastest‑growing tech startup in AI, collaborating with brilliant minds and shaping cutting‑edge technology.
• Dynamic progression plan tailored to your ambitions—grow through new responsibilities, leadership, and ownership.
• Human‑first flexibility: you are trusted to deliver with autonomy and shape your day around personal needs.

Equal Opportunities

We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and are intended to provide a general overview of the position. The employee may be required to perform additional duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by management, consistent with the skills and qualifications required for the role.

The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job‑related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.
Salary Range: $150,000 USD - $200,000 USD

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