SAS to Python / R Migration Architect

Ignite IT; Suitland (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Flexible spending account

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Professional development assistance

Referral program

Tuition reimbursement

Vision insurance

Job summary

Ignite IT is seeking a Migration Architect to lead end-to-end SAS to Python/R migrations. You will drive assessment, architecture, standards, risk management, and validation to ensure accurate, performant, and regulatorily compliant code translations.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role requiring deep expertise in SAS, Python, and/or R, with the ability to mentor developers and guide complex conversions across large enterprise datasets.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of advanced analytics or statistical programming experience.
• 5+ years hands-on SAS development (Base SAS, PROC SQL, MACRO, STAT).
• Proven experience architecting or leading SAS → Python and/or R migrations.
• Deep expertise in Python (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, statsmodels, scikit-learn) and/or R (tidyverse, data.table, caret, survival, forecast).
• Strong understanding of statistical methods parity between SAS and open-source tools.
• Experience with data platforms (SQL databases, cloud storage, data lakes).
• Familiarity with CI/CD, version control, and testing frameworks for analytics code.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-scale migrations from SAS to Python and/or R.
• Perform SAS estate assessments: code inventory, macro complexity, data access patterns, and method equivalency.
• Define target-state architecture for Python/R analytics platforms.
• Establish migration patterns, mappings, and reusable templates.
• Design validation frameworks for statistical equivalence and regulatory compliance.
• Guide performance optimization for large datasets and identify automation opportunities.
• Lead technical reviews, approve migrated code, and mentor developers.

Skills

SAS

Python

R

Analytics

Code migration

Tools

SQL

Git

CI/CD

Test harnesses

Job description

The SAS to Python/R Migration Architect is responsible for end-to-end strategy, design, and governance of large-scale analytical and statistical code migrations from SAS to modern open-source ecosystems (Python and R). This role focuses on assessment, architecture, standards, risk management, and validation, working closely with stakeholders and development teams to ensure accuracy, performance, and regulatory fidelity.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role, not just documentation or oversight.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-scale migrations from SAS (Base SAS, PROC SQL, STAT, ETS, MACRO, etc.) to Python and/or R
• Perform detailed SAS estate assessments, including:
  • Code inventory and dependency mapping
  • Macro complexity analysis
  • Data access patterns (SAS datasets, DBs, flat files)
  • Statistical method equivalency analysis
• Define target-state architecture for Python/R analytics platforms (libraries, frameworks, environments)
• Establish migration patterns and standards, including:
  • SAS PROC → Python/R library mappings
  • Macro-to-function translation strategies
  • Reusable templates and shared components
• Design validation and reconciliation frameworks to ensure:
  • Statistical equivalence
  • Numeric tolerances
  • Regulatory and audit compliance
• Guide performance optimization strategies for large datasets
• Identify automation opportunities (code scanners, translators, test harnesses)
• Lead technical reviews and approve migrated code
• Mentor developers and review complex conversions
• Communicate migration risks, tradeoffs, and timelines to leadership

Requirements

• 8+ years of advanced analytics or statistical programming experience
• 5+ years hands‑on SAS development (Base SAS, PROC SQL, MACRO, STAT)
• Proven experience architecting or leading SAS → Python and/or R migrations
• Deep expertise in:
  • Python (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, statsmodels, scikit-learn)
  • and/or R (tidyverse, data.table, caret, survival, forecast)
• Strong understanding of statistical methods parity between SAS and open-source tools
• Experience with data platforms (SQL databases, cloud storage, data lakes)
• Familiarity with CI/CD, version control, and testing frameworks for analytics code

Nice to Have

• Experience in regulated environments (government, healthcare, finance)
• Prior work modernizing legacy analytics platforms
• Exposure to cloud analytics stacks (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Experience designing automated validation frameworks

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance