Ontology Remote Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Who We Are
The Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS) is a self-sustaining nonprofit enterprise. Founded to help bridge the gap between policy and practice, our mission is to enable people and the planet to meet the pace of change by expanding access to new technologies that power more sustainable and equitable outcomes.
We are a fully remote team of award-winning professionals with decades of applied expertise and end-to-end GIS capabilities. By embracing whole-system thinking and state-of-the-art technology, we enable partners across public, private, and nonprofit sectors to tackle complex, real-world challenges-like housing affordability, ecosystem conservation, water management, and sustainable infrastructure-with greater clarity.
Our work liberates and bridges key information, creates nuanced pictures of complex situations, and makes data easier to use, analyze, and act on. We use tools like satellite data and artificial intelligence to deliver insights for impact.
At CGS, we believe that technology can be a tool for positive change. We are dedicated to building a diverse team that represents the communities and systems we live and work in. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every listed qualification, we encourage you to apply. We value potential, curiosity, and lived experiences, and know a more inclusive team makes us a stronger organization.
About the Lincoln Institute
CGS was established in 2020 at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy which seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. A nonprofit private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges. Through education, training, publications, and events, the Lincoln Institute integrates theory and practice to inform public policy decisions worldwide and has office locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; Phoenix, Arizona; and Beijing, China.
Position Overview:
The Center for Geospatial Solutions is seeking a Knowledge Graph Engineer II to serve as a lead technical contributor to the national Geoconnex water data indexing system, working closely with the Associate Director for Technology and software development team.
The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in semantic web technologies, water domain ontologies, and geospatial data systems, with a passion for advancing open data infrastructure that serves federal, state, and local stakeholders.
Reporting to the Director of Knowledge and Insights, the Knowledge Graph Engineer II will be responsible for advancing the technical capabilities of the Geoconnex knowledge graph, integrating cutting-edge AI interfaces, and optimizing spatial query performance across heterogeneous water datasets. They will bring expertise in ontology development, semantic web standards, and water informatics while playing a critical role in scaling the Geoconnex system to serve as the foundational infrastructure for national water data.
What You Will Do:
Technical Leadership

• Design and implement ontological frameworks for water and geospatial data integration, building on existing standards and community best practices
• Architect and deploy large language model interfaces to the Geoconnex knowledge graph, enabling natural language querying and data discovery
• Optimize spatial query performance and develop advanced geospatial indexing strategies for water-related features and datasets

Project Delivery

• Collaborate with federal partners (USGS, USBR, USACE, EPA) and state agencies to integrate diverse water datasets into the Geoconnex reference feature collection
• Develop and maintain automated data ingestion pipelines for state streamgages, reservoirs, wells, and other critical water infrastructure
• Support knowledge graph snapshot distribution systems and integration with academic platforms like NSF Proto-OKN

Technology Infrastructure and Data Management

• Develop reverse geocoder services and embeddable spatial search capabilities for applications requiring Geoconnex features
• Implement cross-linking capabilities with NSF OKN and other federal knowledge graph initiatives
• Ensure system reliability and performance against established service level agreements
• Under the direction of the Associate Director for Technology, design and implement enhancements of the Geoconnex knowledge graph architecture, ensuring scalable performance for real-time graph queries
• Under the direction of the Associate Director for Technology, implement the Semantic Accessibility Layer framework to reduce technical barriers for data provider participation

Team and Stakeholder Engagement

• Mentor junior developers and data scientists working on Geoconnex-related projects
• Coordinate technical activities across the CGS community
• Ability to travel on-site to meet with clients
• Represent CGS technical capabilities in stakeholder meetings and collaborative planning sessions

Who You Are:
You get energy from solving messy, meaningful problems alongside smart, mission-driven collaborators. You take initiative, adapt readily to change, are an active problem solver, and are excited to stretch your skillset when the work calls for it. You're a strong collaborator who builds real working relationships across disciplines, bringing the same care to how you work with people as you do to the quality of your output.
What You Will Need:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Geoinformatics, or related field, or equivalent professional experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in semantic web technologies, knowledge graph development, and ontology engineering

• Proficiency in RDF, SKOS, SPARQL, OWL, SHACL, and semantic web frameworks

• Experience creating or extending ontologies and managing their lifecycle for domain specific usage across clients

• Strong background in geospatial data processing, spatial databases, and GIS technologies

• Experience with large language model integration, vector databases, and AI-driven query interfaces

• Programming proficiency in Python

• Understanding of DevOps practices and cloud infrastructure

• Willingness to adopt new frameworks, tools, and approaches as the semantic web landscape evolves

• Proficiency in basic office software (e.g., Microsoft Office).

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of projects and communicate progress proactively in a fully remote environment

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with experience collaborating effectively across distributed teams
• U.S. Citizen, or legally authorized to work in the United States with no need for future sponsorship

Helpful Experience (Nice to Have):

• Familiarity with water domain ontologies and hydrologic data standards (HY Features, WaterML, ODM2, etc.)

• Familiarity with entity resolution concepts and tools

• Familiarity with water data systems, monitoring networks, and federal water data standards

• Experience with USGS data systems, National Hydrography Dataset, and federal water data workflows

• Knowledge of state and local water management practices and regulatory frameworks

• Familiarity with IoW Coalition initiatives and community governance models

• Experience working with CUAHSI, or other academic water and geospatial data interoperability initiatives

• Background in hydrologic modeling, water resource management, or environmental data systems

Application Process
Please submit a cover letter and resume. The cover letter should succinctly describe your interest in joining the team, your qualifications, and the relevant expertise and experience you offer. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Compensation Overview - Salary Grade: 5
The salary range for this role is posted above and depends on the level of education and years of experience. We value internal and external equity and encourage those who may be missing qualifications to still submit their materials.
Our Mission
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy seeks to improve quality of life through the effective use, taxation, and stewardship of land. A nonprofit private operating foundation whose origins date to 1946, the Lincoln Institute researches and recommends creative approaches to land as a solution to economic, social, and environmental challenges. Through education, training, publications, and events, we integrate theory and practice to inform public policy decisions worldwide. With locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Washington, DC; Phoenix; and Beijing, we organize our work around six goals: low-carbon, climate-resilient communities and regions; efficient and equitable tax systems; reduced poverty and spatial inequality; fiscally healthy communities and regions; sustainably managed land and water resources; and functional land markets and reduced informality.
Our Benefits
Include but are not limited to (a) 3x employer contribution towards retirement matching your employee contribution up to 15%, (b) health insurance, (c) dental insurance, (d) vision insurance, (e) health reimbursement account, (f) short-term disability coverage, (g) long term disability coverage, (h) paid parental leave, (i) voluntary insurances such as accident insurance, (j) health care flexible spending, (k) dependent care flexible spending, (l) paid time off for holidays, vacation, personal, sick, bereavement, and jury duty, (m) office closure between December 24 - Jan 1 each calendar year, (n) flexible schedule and option for a compressed 4 day workweek, (o) tuition and staff development reimbursement, (p) pet insurance, and (q) Employee Assistance Program.
Our Values
Cooperation and Teamwork, Forthright Feedback, Initiative, Acceptance of Responsibility, Multicultural Sensitivity
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment by hiring, training, promoting, and carrying out personnel procedures with respect to compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, or terminations, on the basis of individual merit, experience, and ability without regard to race (including traits historically associated with race such as hair texture, length of hair, protective hairstyles or cultural or religious headdresses), color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), ancestry, citizenship status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, military service, serious medical condition, expunged juvenile record, personal appearance, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, status as a victim, credit information, homelessness status, reproductive health decision making, or any other characteristic protected by law or otherwise.
Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.
Non-Smoking Organization
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is a Non-Smoking organization. Smoking and the use of tobacco products are prohibited at all times and on all property owned, leased, or under the control of Lincoln Institute of Land Policy at all times, including, but not limited to, indoor and outdoor grounds, walkways and sidewalks, parking lots, company vehicles, and private vehicles parked on Lincoln Institute of Land Policy property.
MA Polygraph Statement
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.