Knowledge Engineering Intern

About the role

Nestlé Research is looking for a Knowledge Engineering Intern in Lausanne, Switzerland, for a 6-month, full-time internship starting in February or March 2027. You will explore and assess ontologies, vocabularies and knowledge models related to chemical contaminants, with a focus on food safety, within the Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Sciences. You will work at the intersection of data science, knowledge representation and domain modelling, collaborating with domain scientists and computational specialists to build reusable semantic foundations that improve data harmonisation, interoperability and knowledge management.

Key responsibilities

• Review state-of-the-art ontologies, vocabularies and knowledge graphs related to chemical contaminants and food safety, and assess publicly available standards and semantic frameworks
• Evaluate how external semantic resources can be reused, extended or mapped to internal data models, business concepts and analytical needs
• Identify gaps in existing knowledge models with domain scientists and propose ways to improve data harmonisation and interoperability
• Develop proof-of-concept tools for selected ontology-driven use cases using programming and semantic web technologies
• Document findings and present evidence-based recommendations on how semantic resources can support future knowledge management initiatives

Required profile

• Student or recent graduate with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence or a related field
• Fluency in English, written and spoken
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills, with curiosity, autonomy and a collaborative mindset

Required skills

• Strong Python programming and data-processing skills, able to build structured and reusable technical solutions
• Familiarity with semantic web technologies such as RDF, RDFS, OWL and SPARQL, knowledge graphs, ontology engineering, linked data or data modelling is a strong plus
• Experience in Unix or Linux environments is an advantage

What we offer

• Learning and development opportunities
• Healthcare contribution and access to the Employee Assistance Program
• Employee discounts on products and services