Usman Iftikhar
Lead Data Engineer
What first attracted you to TSS, and what made you decide to join the company?
I was impressed by TSS’s long history of more than 30 years supporting the pharmaceutical sector and saw a clear opportunity to modernize its data landscape. The company needed a modern, cloud-based platform to better serve its clients, and leading that transformation aligned perfectly with my skills and passion.
What motivated me most was knowing that this work ultimately helps pharmaceutical companies improve patient outcomes and deliver life-saving treatments worldwide.
Can you describe what a typical day looks like in your role and the kind of projects you work on?
I lead the design and development of our data platform, the TSS Data Lakehouse, focusing on the architecture of its components, data ingestion, transformation, and reporting. My day involves building and improving data pipelines, collaborating with stakeholders, and mentoring engineers.
A major achievement has been rebuilding the entire data platform using modern cloud technologies such as Snowflake, Apache Iceberg, and Azure cloud storage to better serve our pharmaceutical partners.
How has TSS supported your growth, learning, or career development since you joined?
TSS has given me the freedom to experiment with and adopt new technologies, take part in knowledge-sharing sessions, and actively shape our data strategy for pharmaceutical clients. That trust and support have allowed me to deepen my technical expertise while also expanding my leadership and mentoring skills.
What do you enjoy most about working at TSS?
I really enjoy building solutions that enable faster data-driven decisions. TSS is at an exciting stage, transitioning from legacy on-premise systems to modern, cloud-based platforms as part of its sustainment initiatives. I truly value the freedom to explore new ideas and technologies, the strong support from leadership, and the opportunity to work alongside talented, supportive colleagues who make this journey both enjoyable and inspiring.
What makes the culture at TSS unique?
TSS combines innovation with openness. People are encouraged to share ideas, challenge norms, and take ownership of their work. That culture allows us to develop ambitious new initiatives for our partners while still supporting each other as a team.

