Taxonomist / Ontologist

Join the Semantic Dream Team!

Are you the kind of person who gets excited about metadata controlled vocabularies and the elegant architecture of information Do you dream in hierarchies relationships and RDF triples If so weve got the perfect role for you!

Were a dynamic membership association on a mission to connect people ideas and resources in smarter more meaningful ways. And we need youa brilliant Taxonomist/Ontologistto help us build the semantic backbone that powers our digital ecosystem.

What Youll Do:

• Design and maintaintaxonomies ontologies and metadata schemas to support content organization and retrieval across ASHAs platforms.
• Collaborate with content creators and subject matter expertsto ensure consistent tagging and classification and conduct regular audits to keep things sharp.
• Lead taxonomy governance and versioning adapting structures as our content and member needs evolve.
• Administer our Taxonomy & Ontology Management System (TOMS)to maximize its power as a central tagging hub and autotagging engine.
• Align categorization with user behavior optimizing for search discovery and cross-promotion across digital products.
• Work with data analysts and semantic engineersto ensure our frameworks support meaningful content utilization insights.
• Partner with business analysts and project teamsto embed taxonomy and metadata functionality into new and existing systems.
• Train and support staffin taxonomy best practices and metadata standardsbecause good tagging is a team sport!

I. Purpose

ASHAs wide-ranging programs and services require strong content categorization and metadata practices to support effective efficient planning and dissemination. The Taxonomist/Ontologist develops and maintains categorization systems for use across the organization to make content more discoverable useful and impactful. Through collaboration with content and product teams subject matter experts data analysts and semantic engineering staff the Taxonomist/Ontologist leverages structured data principles to help deliver greater value for ASHA members and other users of its resources.

II. Key Responsibilities

1. Develop and maintain taxonomies ontologies and metadata schemas to support content categorization organization and retrieval needs across ASHAs content systems.
2. Ensure content is accurately classified and easily discoverable by applying taxonomies and metadata consistently across platforms in collaboration with content producers subject matter experts and other stakeholders. Identify and implement improvements through regular audits and analysis. Establish taxonomy governance practices and lead taxonomy versioning work as categorization needs evolve.
3. Administer the taxonomy and ontology management system (TOMS) to leverage its utility and effectiveness as a central repository of tagging information and autotagging functionality supporting content needs across the enterprise.
4. Improve content discoverability and cross-promotion by aligning categorization systems with user search behavior and content navigation patterns in partnership with content and digital product teams.
5. Support data-driven decision-making by ensuring taxonomy and ontology structures are optimized for content utilization analysis in collaboration with data analysts and semantic engineering staff.
6. Ensure systems effectively support taxonomy ontology and metadata functionality by integrating these needs into new and existing platform capabilities in partnership with business analysts and project teams.
7. Provide training and support to staff on the use of taxonomies and metadata standards.

IV. Autonomy & Decision Making:

The incumbent has a high degree of autonomy and independence in the day-to-day responsibilities associated with taxonomy/ontology framework development maintenance and enhancement. The work product itself will be dependent on collaboration with stakeholders and subject matter experts across the organization.

V. Qualifications & Skills

Qualifications:

Knowledge typically acquired through:

• 57 years of experience in taxonomy and ontology development maintenance and use in online content environments
• application of taxonomy and ontology concepts to address business and content strategy needs
• active collaboration on cross-functional teams including content creators and producers content and digital product managers data scientists and engineers
• hands-on experience with use of taxonomies in content and digital asset management systems as well as with application of taxonomy and metadata to unstructured content
• formal education or training in information science library science and semantic technologies for knowledge management

Skills:

• Proficiency with SKOS-based taxonomy and ontology management systems (e.g. PoolParty) and associated querying languages
• Experience with knowledge graph applications
• Detailed knowledge of search and retrieval best practices
• Demonstrated skill in training /orienting subject matter experts on the role of taxonomies and metadata in delivering value
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to negotiate and achieve consensus
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage multiple projects and deadlines

VI. Universal Expectations of ASHA Staff

At ASHA we believe in working together to make well-informed decisions that will advance the association and the discipline of human communication sciences and disorders; teamwork is vital to achieving our mission vision and maximizing impact. As committed stewards of the organization we care deeply about our professions members and staff and building a strong and welcoming community. We strive to ensure that everyones voice is heard and valued. We are dedicated to helping each other grow and innovate by encouraging open communication and continual learning. Our focus is on delivering excellent service and value to members advancing equity and promoting diversity inclusion and the power of science and research.

VII. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

ASHA is an equal opportunity employer. As such it is ASHAs policy to provide equal opportunity to all qualified applicants and employees without regard for race sex (including pregnancy and gender identity) national origin religion marital status disability veteran status age sexual orientation or LGBT status genetic information citizenship or any other factor protected by applicable federal state or local laws and ASHAs Bylaws. This policy applies to recruiting hiring transfer promotion compensation and benefits upward mobility training and development access to facilities termination and other personnel actions.

VIII. Disclaimer

This job description reflects the primary responsibilities of the job but is not a detailed description of all duties which may be required of someone in the position. All ASHA staff are expected to take on additional responsibilities from time to time and to help their colleagues.