Principal Data Engineer

At BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT), we are People Strong, Innovation Driven. A U.S.-based company, BWXT is a Fortune 1000 and Defense News Top 100 manufacturing and engineering innovator that provides safe and effective nuclear solutions for global security, clean energy, environmental restoration, nuclear medicine and space exploration. With more than 7,800 employees, BWXT has 14 major operating sites in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. We are the sole manufacturer of naval nuclear reactors for U.S. submarines and aircraft carriers. Our company supplies precision manufactured components, services and fuel for the commercial nuclear power industry across four continents. Our joint ventures provide environmental restoration and operations management at a dozen U.S. Department of Energy and NASA facilities. BWXT’s technology is driving advances in medical radioisotope production in North America and microreactors for various defense and space applications. For more information, visit Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome to BWXT
We believe in empowering our employees and cultivating a dynamic workplace that fosters growth, collaboration, and technical excellence. At our Oak Ridge, Tennessee Enrichment Operations site, you will join teams working at the forefront of advanced nuclear manufacturing, precision engineering, and mission‑critical national security programs. Whether you're an experienced professional or just starting your career, you’ll find opportunities to challenge yourself, partner with seasoned experts, and contribute to innovation shaping the future of nuclear technology. Our work requires a wide range of skills, and we welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds and career stages who share a passion for meaningful impact and technical advancement.

Position Overview
As our Principal Data Engineer for Semantic Modeling & Industrial Knowledge Architecture, you will lead the design, engineering, and governance of large‑scale semantic data models and industrial knowledge systems that support real‑time operational intelligence across advanced manufacturing environments. You will build unified namespaces, enterprise knowledge graphs, and ontology-driven architectures that ensure consistent interpretation, traceability, and interoperability of mission‑critical industrial data. This role partners with controls engineers, data architects, AI/ML teams, and manufacturing SMEs to deliver enterprise-grade foundations for analytics, predictive maintenance, simulation workflows, and AI-driven automation in a high-security DOE/NNSA environment.

Location
On-site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (Q Clearance Required)

Your Day to Day as a Principal Data Engineer • Design semantic data models and ontologies enabling unified interpretation of industrial data across chemical, aerospace, automotive, and high-throughput manufacturing sectors.
• Develop enterprise knowledge graph components using OWL, RDF, RDFS, SKOS, SHACL, and SPARQL.
• Build unified namespaces aligned with ISA‑95 and W3C standards to ensure cross-system interoperability.
• Architect scalable storage solutions including time-series databases, knowledge graphs, and lakehouse systems.
• Engineer pipelines to ingest, reconcile, and contextualize structured, semi-structured, streaming, and unstructured data.
• Apply governance practices including versioning, modularization, URI strategies, and quality gates.
• Map relational models into semantic representations using R2RML/RML.
• Support AI/ML and simulation teams by embedding semantic models into analytics and automation workflows.
• Lead workshops with SMEs to define domain concepts, modeling requirements, and competency questions.
• Implement data quality controls, lineage, validation frameworks, and anomaly detection.
• Develop reusable frameworks for units modeling, hierarchical structures, identifier normalization, and event modeling.
• Mentor engineering teams and contribute to enterprise data modernization strategies.
• Maintain semantic specifications, governance artifacts, workflows, and compliance documentation.
• Participate in DOE/NNSA audits, reviews, and inspections.

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Computer Engineering, Information Science, Computer Science, or related STEM field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in data engineering, semantic modeling, ontology design, or knowledge graph development.
• Experience designing ontologies using OWL, RDF, RDFS, SKOS, SHACL, and SPARQL.
• Hands-on experience with pipelines for structured, semi-structured, streaming, and unstructured data.
• Experience integrating OT/IoT, edge devices, and SCADA systems into unified data environments.
• Strong knowledge of data architecture principles and modern storage paradigms.
• Proficiency in Python, Java, or Scala.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and Kubernetes.
• Understanding of semantic governance and lifecycle management.
• Must be a U.S. citizen with ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a DOE security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Information Science, or related field.
• Experience in automotive, aerospace, chemical, or high‑throughput manufacturing sectors.
• Consulting or enterprise-scale modernization experience.
• Experience with Unified Namespace, data mesh/fabric, and graph-enabled AI frameworks.
• Familiarity with Databricks, Snowflake, or AWS analytics.
• Experience with semantic modularization, versioning, and interoperability.
• Experience leading global engineering teams.

What We Offer
• Competitive salary and benefits.
• Flexible work schedules and paid time off (as applicable).
• Professional development including mentorship and continuing education support.
• An inclusive culture that values diverse perspectives.
• Opportunities to contribute to mission-driven national security programs.
• Continuous learning and training for career growth.

Pay: $86,450 - $136,000

The base salary range for this position in Tennessee (US-TN) at the start of employment is expected to be between $86,450 and $136,000 per year. However, the base salary offered is based on local job market factors, and may vary further depending on factors specific to the selected job candidate, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to these considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, such as an annual cash incentive in addition to a full range of medical, retirement, and/or other benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided at such time the selected job candidate receives an offer of employment. If hired, the selected job candidate will be employed 'at-will,’ unless employed at a location and in a position subject to a collective bargaining agreement. The company further reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment, compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and other market factors.

As a federal government contractor, BWX Technologies, Inc. and any subsidiaries, affiliates and related entities (“BWXT” or the “Company”) complies with all federal, state, and local laws and customer requirements regarding health and safety protocols. As such, all BWXT new hires will be required to adhere to applicable Company health and safety requirements within the workplace as a condition of employment.

All candidates must be U.S. citizens. Selected applicants are required to successfully complete a pre-employment check and drug screening. In addition, the position may require the ability to obtain and maintain applicable federal eligibility requirements for access to classified/sensitive information or matter which involves an extensive criminal and financial background investigation, drug test, previous employment, and reference verifications.

BWXT is committed to the concept of Equal Employment Opportunity. We have established procedures to ensure that all personnel actions such as recruitment, compensation, career development, benefits, company-sponsored training and social recreational programs are administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, protected veteran or other protected status.

BWX Technologies, Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (BWXT) is not responsible for and does not accept any liability for fees or other costs associated with resumes or candidates presented by recruiters or employment agencies, unless a binding, written recruitment agreement between BWXT and the recruiter or agency exists prior to the presentation of candidates or resumes to BWXT and includes the specific services, job openings, and fees to be paid (“Agreement”). BWXT may consider any candidate for whom a recruiter or agency has submitted an unsolicited resume and explicitly reserves the right to hire such candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency unless an Agreement is in place prior to presentation and such Agreement explicitly encompasses the job opening for which such fees or costs are sought. An email, verbal or other informal contact with any person within BWXT will not create a binding agreement. Agencies or recruiters without an Agreement are directed not to contact any hiring managers of BWXT with recruiting inquiries or resumes. Recruiters and agencies interested in partnering with BWXT may contact BWXT’s Talent Acquisition team at View email address on aiapply.co.