Statistical Programmer

General role description

Statistical Programmers work alongside biostatisticians and clinical teams to develop, validate, and maintain programs used to analyse clinical trial data. Using tools like SAS and following industry standards, they produce statistical tables, listings, and figures, generate analysis datasets, and support regulatory submissions. They also perform quality control checks on peer programmers’ outputs, contribute to internal processes, and help ensure compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and global regulatory guidelines. This role is essential to transforming raw trial data into meaningful insights for decision-making and reporting across the clinical research lifecycle.

Key tasks and responsibilities

  • Write programs to generate statistical tables, listings, and figures
  • Clean and organise datasets used in research
  • Check and review work done by other programmers
  • Support statisticians with data analysis tasks
  • Make sure all programming work meets regulatory and quality standards
  • Keep accurate records and documentation
  • Work closely with data managers, statisticians, and clinical teams

Workplace settings

  • Contract Research Organisations (CROs)
  • Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies

Required qualifications

  • A degree in statistics, computer science, data science, mathematics, or a related field
  • SAS programming certification or equivalent experience is highly regarded

Other notable requirements

  • Proficiency in SAS or similar programming tools
  • Familiarity with CDISC standards (SDTM and ADaM)
  • Strong attention to detail and documentation practices
  • Ability to work to timelines and deliver milestones
  • Understanding of clinical trial data structures and workflows
  • Good communication and collaboration skills

Common entry points

Graduate from biostatistics, data science, or programming degree

Common next roles

Senior Statistical Programmer