Knowledge Engineer

Description

Knowledge engineers work inside a U.S. Africa Command directorate and support the Chief Digital and AI Office in modernizing digital operations and expanding AI and ML use across the command.

The role documents and digitizes command workflows, builds and standardizes semantic ontologies, and sets up out-of-the-box Microsoft 365 and DEOS features to make data easier to reach, speed up operations, and improve decisions.

Job family: IT Infrastructure and Operations.

The company is a global technology and professional services firm with about 26,000 staff in 50+ countries, serving U.S. government, defense, and intelligence agencies in AI, cloud, cyber, and software development.

Responsibilities

• Workflow analysis and digitization (30%): chart current command workflows and Joint Staff standards, record a baseline, and turn them into digital processes.
• Use process intelligence to find bottlenecks and produce versioned workflow diagrams.
• Move manual work into automated or partly automated digital workflows using Agile delivery methods.
• Ontology and data standards (30%): design and maintain minimum viable ontologies in OWL, RDF, and SKOS.
• Make sure documents, models, and data products follow metadata standards so they plug into MSS and WDP.
• Prepare ontologies and models so AI agents and LLMs can reach trusted, secure data for decision tools, dashboards, and predictive analytics.
• Training and adoption (30%): teach Knowledge Managers and functional users metadata practice, knowledge capture, and modern platforms such as Microsoft 365, Databricks, and Palantir.
• Encourage data literacy and uptake of new digital workflows across directorates.
• Contractor oversight and Agile work packages (10%): review technical work packages for accuracy, completeness, and governance compliance.
• Assess scope and data flow with digital tracking tools such as JIRA or Slack, and make sure MVP increments meet stakeholder needs.
• Percentages may shift with mission needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree, mandatory under the DEOS contract with no substitutions.
• 10+ years in knowledge management, process engineering, or a closely related field.
• Experience in artificial intelligence, knowledge engineering, and machine learning.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in DoW or intelligence community environments.
• Hands-on Microsoft 365 skills: SharePoint administration, Power Automate workflows, and Teams governance. You must build these yourself, not only advise on them.
• Work history in a U.S. military headquarters or Joint Staff directorate, with knowledge of battle rhythm, command processes, and operational documentation.
• Proven ability to drive change and win adoption among senior stakeholders at O-6 and SES level.
• Practical work with ontologies, metadata standards, and workflow digitization.
• U.S. citizenship, and eligibility for SOFA status and required country clearances.
• DoW security clearance at TS/SCI.
• Desired: experience with Power Apps or Power BI for dashboards and decision support.
• Desired: familiarity with CDAO and CKDP frameworks, DEOS enterprise services, and DoW records management.
• Desired: background in knowledge engineering frameworks, semantic technologies, or content modeling.
• Desired: experience with data ingestion, tagging, and interoperability across MSS, WDP, or similar analytics platforms.

Conditions

Clearance: you must currently hold TS/SCI and must be able to obtain TS/SCI with polygraph. No public trust or other clearance is required.

Regular position, onsite, international, DefenseOCONUS location, 40 scheduled hours per week.

Travel: less than 10%.

Likely pay range is $136,000 to $184,000. This is not a guarantee. Pay is set by experience, geographic location, and possibly contract terms, and may fall outside this range.

International pay varies by tax, social security, immigration status, and location. Assignments may add allowances, premium uplifts, or relocation and transport support above base pay.

Identity verification uses biometrics and AI. You must be on camera in virtual interviews, and proceeding authorizes use of your biometric data for verification and security.

Equal opportunity employer, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

Benefits

• Medical plans, some with Health Savings Accounts, plus dental and vision plans.
• 401(k) with company match, with pre-tax and post-tax contributions up to IRS limits.
• Full flex work weeks where possible, plus paid time off for vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement, and jury duty leave.
• Short and long-term disability, life, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness, and business travel accident insurance, provided or available.
• Competitive pay and paid time off.
• An AI-powered career tool that suggests career steps and learning, and an internal mobility team to help with career goals.
• The company reviews its total rewards regularly to keep them competitive.
• Military-friendly workplace.