Senior Ontology Engineer

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{
  "id": "2556746",
  "name": "Senior Ontology Engineer",
  "office": "Zurich",
  "keywords": [],
  "schedule": "full-time",
  "createdAt": "2026-03-07T16:32:17+00:00",
  "seniority": "experienced",
  "department": "Software",
  "occupation": "general_and_other_engineering",
  "subcompany": null,
  "employmentType": "permanent",
  "jobDescriptions": [
    {
      "name": "SAEKI - Manufacturing at software speed",
      "value": "Europe's defense industrial base cannot respond at the speed modern conflict requires. Legacy suppliers operate on month-long timelines. Tribal knowledge is retiring. Supply chains are fragile. SAEKI is building the operating system for autonomous factories — the infrastructure that lets Europe manufacture mission-critical components at software speed.<br>As we scale Factory ONE in Germany, we aren't just collecting data — we are building a \"live\" digital twin where every machine state, material property, and kinetic action is semantically understood. We need a Senior Ontology Engineer to build the knowledge graph and semantic framework that serves as the nervous system for our Manufacturing Intelligence.<br><br>"
    },
    {
      "name": "The Role",
      "value": "As the Senior Ontology Engineer, your mandate is to turn physical chaos into structured, actionable intelligence. You will own the design and implementation of the SAEKI Factory Ontology — the semantic framework that defines how our software \"thinks\" about the physical world.<br>Based at our HQ in Zurich (Oerlikon), you will work at the intersection of backend engineering and knowledge representation. You aren't just managing a database — you are building the reasoning layer that allows our AI agents to understand manufacturing logic. You will bridge the gap between low-level machine telemetry and high-level manufacturing logic.<br><br><em>Note: You do not need defense or manufacturing experience to excel in this role.</em><br><br>"
    },
    {
      "name": "What We're Looking For",
      "value": "<ul><li><strong>5+ years of backend engineering experience</strong> with a track record of building complex, distributed systems. Expert in Go, Python, or Rust.</li><li><strong>Semantic Web Expertise:</strong> Deep experience with Ontology Engineering, Knowledge Graphs, or Semantic Data Modeling. You understand RDF, OWL, and how to query complex relationships (SPARQL/GraphQL).</li><li><strong>Physical-World Context:</strong> Experience (or deep interest) in how software interacts with the real world — IoT, robotics, digital twins, or industrial automation.</li><li><strong>Architectural Agency:</strong> You don't just follow tickets — you define how systems should be built. You prefer clean, extensible models over complex abstractions.</li><li><strong>Event-Driven Mindset:</strong> Experience building real-time data pipelines that process streaming telemetry from hardware systems.</li><li><strong>Industrial Grit:</strong> Comfortable spending time on the production floor in Munich to see how your data models survive on a real shop floor.</li><li><strong>On-site:</strong> Ability to work in-person at our HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.</li></ul>"
    },
    {
      "name": "What we're not looking for",
      "value": "<ul><li>Academic ontologists who have never shipped production systems.</li><li>Backend engineers with no interest in knowledge representation. This role is specifically about structuring how machines \"think.\"</li><li>People who need perfectly clean data to build on. Factory data is messy — you must design systems that tolerate noise and ambiguity.</li><li>Engineers uncomfortable with industrial protocols (OPC-UA, MQTT). You will interface directly with machine telemetry.</li></ul>"
    },
    {
      "name": "What we offer",
      "value": "<ul><li><strong>Mission:</strong> Rebuild the industrial sovereignty of the West. Your work directly enables the production of mission-critical hardware for defense and space.</li><li><strong>Total Ownership:</strong> High-stakes autonomy in your domain. You own both the problems and the solutions — and have the authority to execute.</li><li><strong>The Environment:</strong> Access to a 5,000m² state-of-the-art facility featuring 5-axis CNCs, industrial robots, and industrial 3D printers. Your work runs on real hardware from day one.</li><li><strong>The Team:</strong> \"Special Forces\" model. Everyone senior, everyone ships. No politics, no bureaucracy. Direct feedback, high standards.</li><li><strong>Compensation:</strong> Competitive salary + meaningful equity.</li><li><strong>Location:</strong> Zurich HQ or Factory ONE in Munich, depending on role. Hybrid options available where applicable.</li></ul>"
    },
    {
      "name": "Apply",
      "value": "<ul><li><strong>Resume:</strong> Focus on systems you've built and owned.</li><li><strong>GitHub/Portfolio:</strong> Show us work you're proud of — code, machines, or production systems.</li><li><strong>Cover letter:</strong> Why this mission? Why now? What would you build first?</li></ul>"
    }
  ],
  "occupationCategory": "engineering",
  "recruitingCategory": "Permanent Employee (IT)"
}