200 new jobs announced in Letterkenny

15 Jul 2010

The expansion of UnitedHealth Group’s Letterkenny operations is to result in the creation of 200 new IT and medical claims jobs in Co Donegal by the end of 2011.

UnitedHealth has had a presence in Donegal since 1999 and currently employs 340 people in IT and medical claims processing at its Letterkenny site, with this new investment set to bring employment there to more than 560.

The 200 new positions will be split evenly between IT technicians and medical claims associates. Recruitment for the posts has now begun and it is expected they will all be filled by the end of 2011.

IDA Ireland, which supported the investment on behalf of the Irish Government, said it is expected to further embed jobs into the future.

“UnitedHealth is a Fortune 100 company and has operations in 63 locations worldwide,” said IDA CEO Barry O’Leary. “The jobs announced today in IT and medical claims processing will be undertaken for clients in the United States, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

“Services innovation is an important area of focus for IDA and an important part of IDA’s strategy,” he continued. “IDA Ireland looks forward to supporting UnitedHealth as it continues to grow its operations in Ireland.”

Staff and location prove deciding factors

“UnitedHealth’s decision to expand in Ireland comes about as a direct result of the availability of highly-skilled staff in the region, the performance and tenure of existing staff and also the geographic location of the Letterkenny site – its time zone lends itself to the 24/7 support needed for the US and Indian markets,” added Tánaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan TD.

Managing director of UnitedHealth in Letterkenny Pádraig Monaghan paid tribute to his staff in securing the fresh investment: “We are very fortunate to have staff who possess such a steely and determined work ethic.  Today’s announcement is testament to their hard work over the past 11 years.  We have a proven track record in maintaining high standards within all our divisions and we are very proud to be able to increase the capacity of the company given the current economic challenges.  This is also a great day for Letterkenny and the broader business community who will benefit indirectly from this announcement.”

Joanne Richardson, chief executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ireland, also congratulated UnitedHealth’s Irish management team on their success in securing the investment.

Richardson noted the north-west region’s cluster of long-established US multinational companies and the success these companies have had in securing fresh investment from their multinational parent. 

“UnitedHealth Group, Abbott and Pramerica to name just a few, are all very significant employers which have been in the north-west for many years. UnitedHealth Group’s operations were established 11 years ago, Abbott has had a presence here since the early ’70s, while Pramerica recently celebrated 10 years in Donegal and has grown from 100 to 700 people in that time,” she said.

Article courtesy of Businessandleadership.com

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