Executive Director, Semantic and Knowledge Engineering

Novartis is hiring an Executive Director, Semantic and Knowledge Engineering. It pays $225k-$419k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Novartis.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Works on AI ●●●○: the daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
The posting allows some remote work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include Ontologies, Taxonomies and Knowledge Graphs.
Level classifies it as an executive role.
Level lists 864 other open roles at Novartis.

AI in this role

Lead the strategy and architecture of enterprise semantic layers and knowledge engineering capabilities to power AI agents and platforms.

OntologiesTaxonomiesKnowledge GraphsRAG

ragai-agentsknowledge-engineeringsemantic-layerai-governanceartificial-intelligence

Job Description Summary

#LI-Hybrid

Reporting to the VP, Applied AI, Data Science, and Commercial Intelligence, the Executive Director, Semantic and Knowledge Engineering leads the strategy, architecture, and implementation of the enterprise semantic layer and knowledge engineering capabilities that power NovaOS. This role is responsible for creating a trusted, reusable knowledge foundation that connects data, business concepts, ontologies, taxonomies, and AI agents to enable consistent reasoning, interoperability, and scalable enterprise intelligence.

The ideal location for this role is East Hanover but remote work may be possible (there may be some restrictions based on legal entity). Please note that this role would not provide relocation as a result. If associate is remote, all home office expenses and any travel/lodging to specific East Hanover for periodic live meetings will be at the employee’s expense. The expectation of working hours and travel (domestic and/or international) will be defined by the hiring manager. This position will require 10% travel.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

Define and execute the enterprise strategy for semantic technologies, knowledge engineering, and knowledge graph capabilities.

Lead the development and governance of enterprise ontologies, taxonomies, business vocabularies, and semantic models that establish a shared understanding across the organization.

Design and implement the enterprise semantic layer that enables trusted AI, consistent analytics, interoperability, and reusable business knowledge.

Partner with Applied AI, Data Science, Product Management, Engineering, and Business teams to embed semantic capabilities into NovaOS products and AI solutions.

Establish governance, metadata management, knowledge lifecycle processes, and quality standards for enterprise knowledge assets.

Drive innovation in knowledge graphs, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), semantic search, reasoning engines, and AI-enabled knowledge management.

Build and lead a high-performing team of semantic engineers, ontology specialists, and knowledge engineers while fostering technical excellence and innovation.

Essential Requirements:

Education: • Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Bioinformatics, or a related discipline.

10+ years of experience in semantic technologies, knowledge engineering, enterprise architecture, data management, or AI platforms, including leadership experience.

Deep expertise with ontologies, taxonomies, metadata, RDF/OWL, knowledge graphs, graph databases, semantic web technologies, and enterprise information architecture.

Experience building enterprise semantic platforms that enable AI, analytics, search, and data interoperability at scale.

Exceptional leadership, executive communication, and cross-functional stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Requirements:

Experience applying semantic technologies to generative AI, agentic AI, RAG, and enterprise AI platforms.

Experience in pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other highly regulated industries.

Novartis Compensation Summary:

The salary for this position is expected to range between $225,400 and $418,600 per year.

The final salary offered is determined based on factors like, but not limited to, relevant skills and experience, and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically. Novartis may change the published salary range based on company and market factors.

Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility to be considered for annual equity awards.

US-based eligible employees will receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life and disability benefits, a 401(k) with company contribution and match, and a variety of other benefits. In addition, employees are eligible for a generous time off package including vacation, personal days, holidays and other leaves.

EEO Statement:

The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Accessibility and reasonable accommodations

The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to us.reasonableaccommodations@novartis.com or call +1(877)395-2339 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Salary Range

$225,400.00 - $418,600.00

Skills Desired

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Business Value Creation, Change Management, Curious Mindset, Data Governance, Data Literacy, Data Management, Data Quality, Data Science, Data Visualization, Deep Learning, Learning Agility, Machine Learning (ML), Machine Learning Algorithms, Mentorship, Stakeholder Engagement, Statistical Analysis, Time Series Analysis

How we rate this

Executive Director, Semantic and Knowledge Engineering at Novartis rates 70 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Works on AI (AI Level 3 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Works on AI. The daily work is on AI products, without building the model.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Executive Director, Semantic and Knowledge Engineering is an open job at Novartis.
Level rates this role AI Level 3 of 4: Works on AI.
The listed salary is $225k-$419k a year.
The role is based in East Hanover and is marked remote.
The job was posted on August 23, 2026.
Seniority: executive.
Applications are handled by Novartis. Apply on Novartis

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

RAGAI agentsKnowledge EngineeringSemantic LayerAI GovernanceArtificial IntelligenceOntologiesTaxonomies

Questions you could be asked

How would you design a retrieval step so the model answers from real data instead of guessing?
How do you decide when an AI agent can act on its own versus asking for approval first?
Tell me about a project where knowledge engineering was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where semantic layer was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where ai governance was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: RAG, AI agents, Knowledge Engineering, Semantic Layer, and AI Governance. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
Show where AI is part of your daily process, not a one-off project. This role expects it to be a running habit.

Get your CV reviewed before you apply

Send your CV and the role you want next. Your review arrives by email within 3 days.

Get a free CV review Check your resume with the ATS resume checker