Lead Data Modeler

About the Role

Zifo is looking for a Lead Data Modeler with strong data management expertise to join our Data & AI practice. You'll own the information model on client data transformation programmes: you design it, build it, and make sure it works in production.

The role sits between enterprise data modeling and semantic technologies. You'll build data models and ontologies that engineers can implement, governance teams can manage, and business users actually adopt.

We value practical outcomes over theoretical completeness. The right model, delivered and adopted, beats the perfect one on paper.

We are looking for someone who will take end-to-end ownership of their work, from the first client conversation through to a model running in production. You'll do it collaboratively, bringing data engineers, scientists, and governance teams with you rather than handing work over the fence.

It is a must to have prior exposure and/or education in the life sciences and scientific informatics fields to ensure the domain knowledge exists.

What You'll Do

Lead delivery

• Own the data and semantic modeling workstream on client programmes from scoping through to handover, often as the senior modeling voice on the engagement.
• Run workshops with scientific, business, and technical stakeholders to agree definitions, scope, and priorities.
• Make and explain pragmatic trade-offs, including knowing when a controlled vocabulary will do and when a full ontology is needed.
• Guide and review the work of other modelers and engineers on the team.

Build data and semantic models

• Design conceptual, logical, and physical data models for modern cloud data platforms.
• Build ontologies, taxonomies, and knowledge graphs that connect data across scientific and business domains, reusing established public standards where they fit.
• Work hands-on with data engineers so models are implemented as designed, not just documented.
• Set modeling standards, naming conventions, and glossary definitions that client teams can own and maintain after we leave.

Grow the business

• Shape solution approaches, estimates, and written responses for RFPs and proposals.
• Present to clients during pre-sales, turning a vague problem statement into a clear, credible plan.
• Spot follow-on opportunities within existing engagements.

What You Bring

• Significant hands-on experience delivering both enterprise data models and semantic models (ontologies, taxonomies, or knowledge graphs) that have been used in production.
• A track record of leading projects or workstreams directly with clients.
• Experience working with governance teams on glossaries, metadata, and ownership, applying FAIR principles in practice rather than citing them in theory.
• Confidence communicating with both scientists and executives, and the ability to write clearly for proposals and deliverables.
• Experience in a science-driven industry, such as R&D, lab informatics, clinical, regulatory, or manufacturing data.

Nice to have

• Prior consulting or pre-sales experience

Technical Toolkit

We care more that you've used tools in each category than which specific product.

Semantic standards

Must have - OWL, RDF/RDFS, SPARQL, SKOS, SHACL

Nice to have - JSON-LD

Data modeling

Must have - Relational and dimensional modeling; lakehouse / medallion patterns

Nice to have - Data Vault 2.0; tools such as erwin, ER/Studio, SqlDBM

Hands-on skills

Must have - SQL; Python (e.g. rdflib) to prototype and test models; Git for versioning models

Ontology platforms

Must have - At least one of Protégé, TopBraid, Stardog, PoolParty

Graph databases

Nice to have - Neo4j (Cypher), Neptune, Stardog, Virtuoso, GraphDB

Cloud and data platforms

Must have - At least one of AWS, Azure, GCP

Nice to have - Databricks or Snowflake

Governance and catalogues

Nice to have - Collibra, Atlan, Informatica, Microsoft Purview, Unity Catalog

Domain standards

Must have - At least one of the below:
CDISC, BRIDG, HL7 FHIR, NCI Thesaurus, ChEBI, GO, Allotrope, OBO Foundry

AI enablement

Using knowledge graphs or semantic layers to ground GenAI (e.g. GraphRAG)

What Success Looks Like in Your First Year

You've led the modeling workstream on at least one client programme, with models implemented and in use.

Client teams have adopted the standards and definitions you set up.

You've contributed to winning new work through proposals and client presentations.

Clients and colleagues see you as the go-to person for connecting data architecture and semantics.

About Zifo:
Zifo is a global R&D solutions provider focused on the industries of Pharma, Biotech, Manufacturing QC, Medical Devices, specialty chemicals and other research-based organizations. Our team’s knowledge of science and expertise in technology help Zifo better serve our customers around the globe, including 7 of the Top 10 Biopharma companies.

A passion to learn and a spirit of teamwork characterizes us. We revere excellence and the value everyone brings. At Zifo, our culture is one where we debate, challenge ourselves and interact with all alike.

We look for Science – Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Microbiology etc. We possess scientific and technical knowledge and bear professional and personal goals. While we have a “no doors” policy to promote free access within, we do have a tough door to walk in. We search with a two-point agenda – technical competency and cultural adaptability.