Python Developer - (Systems Modernization)

Role Overview

Lead the modernization of core data processing systems by translating complex legacy SAS logic into robust, high-performance Python solutions. Build scalable, cloud-native data pipelines that process large-scale datasets accurately, with strong documentation and quality controls.

Responsibilities

• Analyze existing SAS-based systems and re-implement logic in Python, preserving functionality while improving maintainability, scalability, and performance.
• Design and develop end-to-end data pipelines for ingesting, cleaning, validating, and transforming diverse formats, including SAS datasets, Parquet, JSON, and SQL.
• Use larger-than-memory processing techniques for production-scale workloads.
• Profile, optimize, and refactor code to remove bottlenecks and improve performance.
• Implement parallel computing strategies using Dask and multiprocessing.
• Build Python solutions that integrate with PostgreSQL for high-volume storage and processing.
• Implement automated testing, data validation, and quality assurance across the data lifecycle.
• Maintain high code quality with readable, maintainable, and well-documented solutions; participate in peer reviews and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with DSD IT Specialists and stakeholders to meet functional and technical requirements, troubleshoot issues, and communicate progress.

Requirements

• Ability to read and interpret SAS code.
• Experience with Parquet, SQL, JSON, and larger-than-memory datasets.
• Experience with PySpark, multiprocessing, Dask, and code profiling tools.
• Linux environment experience and cloud-native resources (e.g., AWS).
• Strong SQL skills with PostgreSQL integration.
• Git for version control; unit testing and technical documentation.
• Experience reading/reformatting large data files with Python.
• Demonstrated performance improvement: profiling and refactoring to identify bottlenecks.
• Ability to write high-quality, well-documented, maintainable code.
• Basic Linux commands as an end user.
• Experience with data validation in a statistical processing environment.
• Ability to pass the Census Bureau Security Investigation / background investigation and obtain/maintain required security access.

Nice to Have

• 5–7 years related experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field (preferred).
• Cloud experience, preferably AWS.
• SAS programming experience.

Work Schedule / Location

• Full-time; additional hours as needed.
• Remote expected, with the possibility of onsite work if required.
• No travel listed.