Knowledge Modeler / Ontologist Manager

Accenture is a global professional services and solutions company that helps leading organizations reinvent with digital, cloud, data, and AI capabilities. We draw on our 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.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Knowledge Modeler / Ontologist to contribute to domain ontology design, governance, and delivery for enterprise knowledge graph initiatives. This role bridges business stakeholders, data engineering, and AI/ML teams by translating complex business domains into rigorous, standards-compliant semantic models that power intelligent applications. The position is hybrid, requiring time in the office and travel to client locations (20-80%).

Responsibilities

• Lead the full ontology lifecycle: 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.
• Use advanced modeling patterns (e.g., reification, n-ary relations, punning) in consultation with senior team members.
• Create and evolve ontologies, taxonomies, and vocabularies using 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in ontology engineering, knowledge modeling, or a closely related semantic web discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of demonstrable experience delivering domain ontologies in an enterprise or consulting context.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Science, Computer Science, Library Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, or a related field.

Skills

• 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.

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.

Benefits

Accenture offers a market-competitive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability coverage, a 401(k) plan, bonus opportunities, paid holidays, and paid time off. See more information on our benefits here.

Pay

Compensation varies based on location, role, skill set, and experience. Below are the annual salary ranges for this role by location:

• California: $94,400 to $293,800
• Cleveland: $87,400 to $235,000
• Colorado: $94,400 to $253,800
• District of Columbia: $100,500 to $270,300
• Illinois: $87,400 to $253,800
• Maine: $80,400 to $216,200
• Maryland: $94,400 to $253,800
• Massachusetts: $94,400 to $270,300
• Minnesota: $94,400 to $253,800
• New York: $87,400 to $293,800
• New Jersey: $100,500 to $293,800
• Virginia: $87,400 to $270,300
• Washington: $100,500 to $270,300