Ontology Data Specialist

We are seeking an Ontology Data Specialist to join a dynamic healthcare data team on a 12-month remote contract. In this role, you will develop and maintain formal knowledge representations that support healthcare administrative data systems. Your work will directly influence AI and analytics systems by ensuring accurate, industry-standard data models.

• Design and update ontologies using RDF, OWL, and SKOS to represent healthcare administrative concepts.

• Map internal data models to industry standards like FHIR, SNOMED, and ICD.

• Use SPARQL to query and validate knowledge graphs, refining data representations as needed.

• Collaborate with domain experts to formalize tacit business knowledge into structured models.

• Evaluate different modeling approaches, explaining tradeoffs and recommending optimal solutions.

• Contribute to graph database architecture and integration with AI systems to enhance data reasoning.

• Translate complex healthcare data into formal structures that support downstream analytics and AI.

Bachelor’s degree with at least 7 years of experience in data or knowledge engineering, focusing on ontology or knowledge representation.

• Practical experience working with RDF, OWL, SKOS, or similar semantic web technologies.

• Proficiency in writing and executing SPARQL queries for data validation and manipulation.

• Hands-on experience with ontology authoring tools such as Protégé.

• Solid understanding of ontology design patterns and best practices.

• Familiarity with healthcare standards like FHIR, SNOMED, and ICD applied to administrative data.

• Experience working with graph databases such as Neo4j or TypeDB.

• Knowledge of Python programming and experience with NoSQL, SQL, and graph database systems.

• Understanding of AI frameworks and how knowledge graphs support AI reasoning.

• Ability to formalize business knowledge into structured models, translating tacit concepts into formal representations.

• Knowledge of healthcare domain complexities, including clinical and administrative data.

• Awareness of current trends in ontology and knowledge graph development, with the ability to incorporate relevant insights.

• Experience testing modeling approaches, understanding tradeoffs, and optimizing data architectures.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Exposure to reasoners like HermiT, Pellet, or ELK, and validation tools such as SHACL.

• Experience with terminology services like UMLS or terminology servers.

Competitive hourly pay rate of $75-78.

• Fully remote work environment, offering flexibility and work-life balance.

• Opportunity to influence healthcare data systems and AI reasoning capabilities.

• Collaborate with industry experts in a cutting-edge healthcare data environment.

• Join a project with a focus on innovative data modeling that impacts healthcare analytics.

Why IDR?

• 25+ Years of Proven Industry Experience in 4 major markets

• Employee Stock Ownership Program

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance

• ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing® Client and Talent Award winner for 12 years in a row

Compensation Range: $75-78/hr