Senior Ontology Engineer

About XTEL

At XTEL, we excel in understanding large FMCG players. As a leading software provider of sales automation solutions for the Consumer Goods Industry worldwide, our mission is to partner with our customers to unlock growth through smart investment and optimize their promotional plans.

Position Overview

Join XTEL as a Senior Ontology Engineer to lead the development of our knowledge representation layer. Define and manage ontologies and semantic rules to support AI-driven systems, enabling advanced search, interaction, and integration with LLM-powered agents. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to expose and utilize the knowledge graph effectively. Take ownership of the ontology strategy, guide technical execution, and drive innovation at the intersection of semantics and AI.

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Ontology Engineer at XTEL, you will:

• Define, model, and manage complex ontologies and semantic rules that underpin intelligent system behavior.

• Design and implement the semantic layer enabling search, interaction, and orchestration for LLM-based AI agents.

• Lead the development and exposure of the knowledge graph, integrating ontologies with relevant tools and services.

• Collaborate closely with AI Engineers and Product teams to translate business needs into semantic structures.

• Guide the strategic direction of ontology development, ensuring scalability, reusability, and alignment with technical architecture.

• Mentor junior team members and promote best practices in ontology engineering and semantic modeling.

• Stay informed about the latest advancements in semantic web technologies, knowledge representation, and AI integration.

Qualifications

A great candidate will have:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Science, or a related field.

• At least 7 years of experience in ontology engineering, knowledge representation, or semantic technologies.

• Proven experience defining ontologies and semantic rules (e.g., OWL, RDF, SHACL).

• Hands-on experience with tools and frameworks for building and exposing knowledge graphs (e.g., GraphDB, Protégé, SPARQL endpoints, Stardog, Ontotext).

• Deep understanding of the role of ontologies in enabling search, reasoning, and interaction for AI systems.

• Ability to lead complex projects, from concept to implementation, in cross-functional environments.

• Advanced proficiency in English, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Nice to have:

• Experience working with or integrating LLMs and AI agents.

What We Offer

• A challenging role in a fast-growing AI-driven revenue management company.
• A diverse and international team with strong ownership and a can-do mentality.
• Opportunities to contribute to the organization's growth and development.
• A cross-functional role spanning geographies and departments.
• Flexible working with hybrid and remote options (HQ in Bologna).

Location Preferences:

Our headquarters is located in Casalecchio di Reno, Bologna, and we offer hybrid work arrangements. While we prioritize candidates who are based in Bologna and the surrounding areas for hybrid work, we are open to considering other options on a case-by-case basis.

Equal Opportunity Statement

If you have strengths to share, we’d love to hear from you. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences, so don’t hesitate to apply even if you don’t meet all criteria.

XTEL is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.