Today we continue our countdown of Ireland’s top jobs announcement stories of 2012. It was the year companies in sectors that are thriving despite the downturn – technology, science and pharma – created jobs in their organisations, ranging from multinationals to start-ups.
Agri-food and food innovation company Kerry Group, for example, announced 900 jobs, betting giant Paddy Power proclaimed 800 new jobs, and financial services giant Northern Trust revealed it would be hiring to fill 400 positions.
To celebrate a year of jobs announcements, Siliconrepublic.com has dedicated the month of December to the top 50 most popular jobs announcements of 2012. The list contains a myriad of companies, large and small, creating opportunities across Ireland.
Below we continue our countdown of the 50 most-viewed jobs announcement stories of 2012.
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45 – Action Point Technology announces 50 jobs in LimerickAction Point Technology is set to employ 50 new staff members by 2014 as part of an expansion plan targeting overseas markets. The technology services and software development specialist, based in Plassey Technological Park, Limerick, has this year been finalising the first phase of this expansion, which will involve the introduction of seven new posts. This will be followed immediately by the recruitment of 30 software developers for the second phase. The remaining positions – including project managers, sales and marketing staff, account management staff and engineers – will then be filled by 2014. |
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44 – 350 games jobs on offer as ‘Godfather’ designer reveals tricks of tradeThe creative genius behind video games like Gold, as well as the popular Godfather and James Bond video-games franchises, Phil Campbell, was one in the impressive line-up of speakers at the Games Ireland gathering in Dublin, where some 350 local games jobs were also on offer. Campbell worked on the Tomb Raider franchise and created games like Gold, as well as the design of two blockbuster James Bond games. He was creative director on EA’s The Godfather, where he created the interactive script, story and mission designs, as well as writing the dialogue for the game, which involved working with actors Marlon Brando, James Caan and Robert Duvall to bring their famous roles back to life for the game. |
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43 – Wexford start-up Scurri.com secures €600k investment and plans to create jobsScurri.com, the Co Wexford-based online shipping service for e-commerce businesses, has secured a €600,000 investment to focus on expanding into new markets, with the company also planning to create new roles over 18 months. South East Business Innovation Centre worked with Scurri.com and the Halo Business Angel Partnership to secure the investment, which has come from multiple sources, including private individuals, business angel investors and Enterprise Ireland. |
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42 – Kerry Group to invest €100m in new Naas food plant, creating 900 jobs by 2016Kerry Group is setting up a global technology and innovation centre in Naas, Co Kildare, in a €100m investment that’s set to create up to 900 permanent jobs by 2016, as well as 400 construction jobs during the build. The new campus will be based on a 28-acre site in the Millennium Business Park. By 2015, Kerry Group is projecting that 800 jobs will be created, with a further 100 positions in place by 2016. The €100m investment will be partly funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. |
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41 – EA to create 300 new jobs in Galway – new centre to be focal point of global gamer businessElectronic Arts is to create 300 new jobs at its European Customer Experience Centre of Excellence, which will be the focal point of the company’s strategy to serve gamers on a worldwide basis. The news comes less than a year after EA subsidiary BioWare revealed plans to create 200 jobs in Galway to serve the launch of new MMO (massively multiplayer online) games like Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origin, and Wrath of Heroes. Video gamer image via Shutterstock |
