Logo of Facebook headquarters, office building in Grand Canal Square, Dublin.
Facebook headquarters in Grand Canal Square, Dublin. Image: © jordi2r/Stock.adobe.com

Applications now open for Facebook’s Return to Work scheme

7 Sep 2020

Due to its success across the US, the ‘Return to Work’ scheme is launching in Ireland and will hire people with engineering and business skills.

Facebook has opened applications for its newly launched ‘Return to Work’ initiative in Ireland. It gives people seeking to re-enter employment after two or more years the opportunity to take part in an “immersive” 16-week programme.

To date, the programme has been rolled out in 10 US cities. The available jobs in Ireland will include production engineers, programme managers and data scientists, among others.

Successful applicants will receive “the unique support” they need to re-enter the jobs market, the company said. Training will comprise offering applicants the “tools and guidance to make real impact in their roles”. Through being paired up with an experienced manager at the company, they will have access to mentors and a peer community. Participants will also be considered for a permanent job at Facebook after the 16-week programme has ended.

Earlier this year, the company announced that it had no plans to return to the office any time soon due to the Covid-19 pandemic. CEO Mark Zuckerberg commented that “there’s currently no end in sight” for Facebook staff working from home.

No information has been given on whether people who participate in the ‘Return to Work’ scheme will be based on site or remotely. The company’s director of recruitment for EMEA, Declan Fitzgerald, said his team is “looking forward to welcoming these candidates to Facebook Ireland”.

“People take a break from their careers for many reasons,” Fitzgerald said. “It could be to look after children or a sick parent, change careers or find a new path and it can be difficult to get back into the world of employment.

“Our ‘Return to Work’ programme aims to provide opportunity and support for talented people with valuable skills and experience to re-enter the workforce.”

The programme will start in January 2021. To learn more about the programme and how to apply, visit the company’s careers portal here.

Updated, 11.49am, 8 September 2020: This article has been updated to clarify Declan Fitzgerald’s title as director of recruitment for EMEA in Facebook, rather than director of HR, as stated in an earlier version.

Lisa Ardill
By Lisa Ardill

Lisa Ardill joined Silicon Republic as senior careers reporter in July 2019. She has a BA in neuroscience and a master’s degree in science communication. She is also a semi-published poet and a big fan of doggos. Lisa briefly served as Careers Editor at Silicon Republic before leaving the company in June 2021.

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