PA Consulting, a global consultancy firm with over 2,600 staff worldwide, is continuing to expand its digital expertise with the creation of 400 jobs in Belfast over the next five years.
This organisation has been offered nearly £4m of government support to secure this investment for Northern Ireland. The company has already recruited a team of nearly 40 people, including 25 digital specialists. Once the project is fully established it is estimated to generate over £14.5m in wages annually for the Northern Ireland economy.
The move builds on the recent acquisition of digital insight and strategy agency, Sparkler. At a time when new technologies, business models and customer expectations are disrupting the ways organisations create and capture value, PA works with clients worldwide in both the public and private sectors to diffuse the threats and seize new opportunities through sustainable digital transformation.
Their Department for the Economy will also be running a series of Assured Skills academies to provide pre-employment skills training for 155 of the 400 jobs to ensure the new recruits are able to hit the ground running.
Speaking about this investment, Anita Chandraker, Global Head of Innovation Services and a member of the PA Consulting Board, said: “We thought long and hard about where was the best place for our next phase of expansion, and considered factors such as the talent pool, the current technology sector, salaries, education and universities, and infrastructure. Northern Ireland ticked all the boxes. These factors, combined with the offer of support from government, made it the logical choice.”
Welcoming the announcement, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP said: “Today's announcement by PA Consulting shows that Northern Ireland continues to punch well above its weight in terms of proving itself as a top destination to invest and do business."
The initial focus for PA will be on Digital Engineering. With roles from graduate-level developers through to Senior Engineering roles available there are opportunities for those interested in digital technology to work on projects involving Dev Ops, software development, data analytics, security, and automated intelligence. Find out more here.