SAS to Python / R Migration Architect

Ignite IT, LLC; Suitland (MD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

A leading IT consulting firm is seeking a SAS to Python/R Migration Architect responsible for the end-to-end strategy and governance of migrations from SAS to Python and R. This hands-on role involves detailed assessments, architecture design, and establishing migration standards. The ideal candidate has over 8 years of experience in analytics and substantial SAS and Python/R knowledge. Benefits include 401(k) matching, health insurance, and professional development assistance.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of advanced analytics or statistical programming experience.
• 5+ years hands-on SAS development experience.
• Proven experience leading SAS to Python and/or R migrations.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-scale migrations from SAS to Python and/or R.
• Perform detailed SAS estate assessments.
• Define target-state architecture for Python/R analytics platforms.

Skills

Advanced analytics or statistical programming

SAS development (Base SAS, PROC SQL, MACRO)

Python (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy)

R (tidyverse, data.table)

Tools

CI/CD

SQL databases

Cloud storage

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

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

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