About the role

At NOVARITY Technical Services, we're standing up a new semantic data capability from the ground up. At its core is a knowledge-graph capability that captures complex, structured knowledge in a precise, machine-readable form — grounded in formal ontologies and governed by automated, machine-checkable rules — so that information can be integrated, queried, reasoned over, and validated for quality and conformance.

This is a true ground-floor opportunity. You'll be one of the people who designs and builds the foundational ontologies (OWL/OML) and the SHACL validation framework the entire capability rests on. The decisions you help make now will shape the architecture for years. We're looking for someone who's energized by building something new rather than maintaining something established — who wants their fingerprints on the foundation.

As a small business, we can offer real ownership from day one: you'll work directly alongside senior software developers and engineers, with the autonomy to take well-scoped pieces end to end. We'll invest in growing your expertise in the more specialized parts of the technology stack.

What you'll do

• Design, develop, and maintain ontologies in OWL (and OML) that model complex concepts, relationships, structure, and constraints.
• Author, test, and document SHACL shapes that encode data-quality and conformance rules and build them into a repeatable validation workflow.
• Translate written specifications, standards, and domain knowledge into precise ontological definitions and constraints.
• Write scripts and small tools (Python or Java) to ingest, transform, query (SPARQL), and validate graph data.
• Run and interpret OWL reasoning and SHACL validation; diagnose and resolve conformance issues.
• Contribute to a shared, version-controlled codebase — reviews, tests, and clear documentation.
• Help establish the team's engineering practices, patterns, and tooling as we scale.
• Collaborate effectively across a remote, distributed team, often asynchronously.

Required qualifications

• Working knowledge of the semantic-web stack: RDF, RDFS, OWL, and SPARQL.
• Exposure to SHACL (or a demonstrated ability and eagerness to become proficient quickly).
• Proficiency in at least one programming language — Python or Java preferred.
• Comfort reading and reasoning carefully from technical specifications and standards documents.
• Experience with version control (Git) and collaborative, review-based development.
• Self-directed and motivated: able to take an ambiguous, well-scoped task and make real progress without close supervision — while knowing when to pull others in.
• Comfort with ambiguity and a bias toward building; you don't need a fully paved path to get started.
• Clear written communication, essential for remote and asynchronous teamwork.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data/Information Science, Knowledge Engineering, Cognitive Science, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred qualifications (nice to have — not expected all at once)

• Hands-on work with OML and the openCAESAR toolchain (a plus).
• Familiarity with foundational / upper and mid-level ontologies — e.g., Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), Common Core Ontologies (CCO) — or with ontology design patterns generally.
• Experience running OWL reasoners and tools such as Protégé, pySHACL, or Apache Jena.
• Familiarity with triplestores / knowledge-graph platforms (e.g., GraphDB, Fuseki).
• Experience treating ontologies as engineered artifacts — testing, CI/CD, release management (“ontology ops”).
• Exposure to structured engineering or domain modeling notations (e.g., SysML, UAF) — a plus, not a requirement.
• Background or interest in a complex technical or engineering domain.

Who you are

You like precision and you like getting things right. You're energized by turning fuzzy domain knowledge into clean, formal structure — and by the moment a validation rule catches a real error. You thrive in an early-stage environment: you take ownership, move without waiting to be told, and are comfortable shaping a problem as much as solving it. You collaborate generously — sharing context, reviewing others' work, asking good questions — and you see the specialized parts of this stack you don't yet know as an opportunity, not a barrier.

Why join us

• A genuine ground-floor role: help create a new capability and shape its technical foundation.
• Broad ownership and outsized impact — as a small business, your work won't be lost in a large org.
• Mentorship from senior software developers and engineers, and real investment in your growth.
• A remote-first, flexible working environment.

About NOVARITY

NOVARITY Technical Services is a small, specialty technical services company providing Government and Commercial support services for enterprise- and system-level engineering projects. We specialize in delivering innovative and mission-critical services in areas such as aerospace / defense acquisition, systems engineering, and intelligence. Our services include systems concept development, trade studies, enterprise engineering, Modeling Simulation and Analysis (MS&A), Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), and Test & Evaluation (T&E). Our team is composed of highly skilled professionals who are dedicated to supporting our clients' most challenging and complex projects.

Mission. Our mission is to provide innovative solutions that enhance national security and drive technological advancements. We are committed to excellence, integrity, and innovation in all our endeavors.

Culture. At NOVARITY, we foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment where every team member is valued and encouraged to contribute their unique skills and perspectives. As a small business, we offer a close-knit, low-bureaucracy, and supportive atmosphere where employees can thrive and grow. Our culture is built on mutual respect, continuous learning, and a shared commitment to achieving our goals.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Flexible work arrangements and work-life balance initiatives.
• Supportive and dynamic team environment.
• Personalized career development plans and mentorship opportunities.
• Health and wellness programs to support employee well-being.

How to apply

If you're early in your career with a passion for formal modeling and knowledge graphs, we encourage you to apply. Send a résumé and a short note about a knowledge-graph, ontology, or formal-modeling project you've worked on — coursework, open-source, or personal projects all welcome — to jobs@novaritytech.com. If you have a small ontology, SHACL shapes file, or repo you're proud of, point us to it.

Pay: $95,000.00 - $135,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Work Location: Remote