Lead Semantic Data Engineer

Job Description

Our company is seeking a lead semantic data engineer to architect, build, and scale enterprise-grade knowledge graph solutions that power advanced analytics and decision-making in pharmaceutical research. This role will lead the design of semantic data layers that integrate heterogeneous scientific datasets, enabling end-to-end traceability, cross-domain insights, and AI/ML-driven discovery. The ideal candidate will combine deep expertise in knowledge graphs, ontology engineering, and data engineering, with strong domain awareness in pharmaceutical R&D.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable knowledge graph architectures to integrate multi-modal data (e.g., omics, process, analytical, lineage)

• Build and manage graph data models representing entities such as samples, processes, assays, targets, and biological relationships

• Drive adoption of graph technologies (e.g., RDF, property graphs, SPARQL/Cypher)

• Partner with platform teams to implement scalable infrastructure (e.g., Amazon Neptune, serverless pipelines)

• Ensure performance, scalability, and governance of knowledge graph platforms

• Collaborate with product managers, scientists, data engineers, and AI/ML teams to translate business needs into semantic models

• Define and execute the knowledge graph roadmap aligned with enterprise data product strategy

• Mentor engineers and establish best practices in ontology development, modeling, and graph engineering

• Drive adoption of knowledge graph capabilities across use cases and programs

Required experience and skills

• Semantic web technology stack (e.g., RDF data format, SPARQL query language)

• Amazon Web Services, particularly the serverless services (e.g., Lambda, Step Functions)

• Data engineering (e.g., SQL queries, ETL jobs)

• Programming in Python

• Experience with DevSecOps practices like continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD), source code version control (e.g., Git), infrastructure-as-code (e.g., CloudFormation, Terraform), and containers (e.g., Docker)

Desired experience and skills

• Cheminformatics and familiarity with the pharmaceutical research

• Exposure to AI/ML applications leveraging graph data

• Good communication and collaboration skills, and ability to collaborate with other teams to develop solutions

• Experience with Atlassian stack of tools for agile software development (e.g., Jira, Confluence)

• Demonstrate growth mindset and ability to work with enterprise teams

What We Offer

(Please note, the primary posting location is Prague, Czechia - benefits in other locations may differ)

• Exciting work in a great team, global projects, international environment

• Opportunity to learn and grow professionally within the company globally

• Pension and health (Canadian Medical) contributions

• Internal reward system plus referral program

• 5 weeks annual leave, 5 sick days, 15 days of certified sick leave paid above statutory requirements annually, 40 paid hours annually for volunteering activities, 12 weeks of parental contribution

• Cafeteria for tax free benefits according to your choice (meal vouchers, sport, culture, health, travel, etc.), Multisport card, Vodafone, Raiffeisen Bank and Foodora discount programs

• Up-to-date laptop and iPhone, parking in the garage, showers, refreshments

• Competitive salary, incentive pay, and many more

Ready to take up the challenge? Apply now!
Know anybody who might be interested? Refer this job!

The date shown below is the earliest possible closing date for this posting. However, we sometimes extend the job posting period as needed, so please feel free to apply anytime you see the "Apply" button available. You may also reach out to the recruiter directly via https://www.linkedin.com/in/badumtss/

Required Skills:

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Atlassian JIRA, AWS CloudFormation, AWS Lambda, AWS Step Functions, Chemical Informatics, CI/CD, Collaboration, Communication, Data Engineering, Docker (Software), Extract Transform Load (ETL), Git, Graph Databases, Infrastructure As Code (IaC), Machine Learning (ML), Pharmaceutical Research, Python (Programming Language), Resource Description Framework (RDF), SPARQL, Structured Query Language (SQL), Terraform (Software), Web Containers

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic/International

VISA Sponsorship:

Yes

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

N/A

Job Posting End Date:

09/12/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.