Linked Data Engineer

Linked Data Engineer - 12 Month Freelance (Detavast) - Utrecht Hybrid

Job Title: Linked Data Engineer

Location: Utrecht, Netherlands (1 day onsite, 4 days remote)

Contract Length: 12 Month Contract with opportunity to become permanent (Detavast)

Start Date: ASAP

About the Role

We're currently looking for a Medior-Senior Linked Data Engineer to join a strategic data transformation programme for a leading organisation in the Netherlands. This is not a traditional Data Engineer role. We're specifically seeking an individual with experience in Linked Data Engineering, Ontologies, Knowledge Graphs, and Semantic Technologies who can help bridge the gap between complex data ecosystems and business outcomes. Over the next 1-2 years, the organisation is investing heavily in its data governance and semantic layer capabilities, enabling AI-driven use cases and improving how data can be understood, connected, and consumed across the business. You'll work closely with stakeholders, data experts to identify relationships across multiple disconnected datasets, design ontologies, and help create a common semantic understanding of business data. If you're passionate about linked data, graph technologies, metadata, and using innovative open-source technologies to solve complex business challenges, we'd love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain enterprise ontologies and linked data models.
• Analyse multiple data sources and identify relationships, commonalities, and semantic connections.
• Build and manage semantic layers that improve access to trusted business information.
• Work with metadata and data governance frameworks to improve data understanding and usability.
• Develop and maintain graph-based data structures and knowledge graphs.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to translate technical concepts into business value and actionable insights.
• Support the delivery of selected AI and data-driven use cases through semantic technologies.
• Evaluate and implement open-source tools and technologies that support linked data initiatives.
• Work closely with the Knowledge Engineer and wider data teams to establish best practices and standards.
• Contribute to the organisation's strategic goal of delivering a scalable semantic data capability over the next 1-2 years.

Required Skills

• Proven experience as a Linked Data Engineer, Semantic Data Engineer, Knowledge Graph Engineer, or similar.
• Strong experience building, designing, and managing ontologies. Hands-on experience working with graph databases and graph data models.
• Experience linking and integrating data from multiple heterogeneous data sources. Strong understanding of metadata management and data governance principles.
• Experience creating semantic layers that enable improved data discovery and consumption.
• Ability to translate technical outputs into meaningful insights for business stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience working with open-source technologies and frameworks.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across multiple teams.

Nice to Have

Experience working alongside Knowledge Engineers or Semantic Architects. Exposure to AI, Generative AI, or Agentic AI use cases. Knowledge of RDF, OWL, SPARQL, or broader semantic web technologies. Experience supporting enterprise data governance programmes.

Why Apply?

Join a high-profile strategic programme focused on transforming how data is connected, governed, and used across the organisation. Work with cutting-edge semantic and linked data technologies. Play a key role in enabling future AI and knowledge-driven capabilities. Flexible hybrid working model with just 1 day per week onsite in Utrecht. Long-term contract with potential for permanent employment.