Uber offers Limerick major jobs lift

Taxi-booking app Uber is to create hundreds of jobs in Limerick over the next 18 months having chosen the city as the preferred location for its first “centre of excellence” outside of the US.

The company, which has helped revolutionise the taxi market since its foundation six years ago, is to invest €4m in the centre and create 300 jobs by the end of 2016.

The jobs will be predominantly customer service roles for which “tech-savvy” employees are being sought but some management positions will also be up for grabs, the Irish Examiner understands.

“What better place to launch our first centre of excellence outside the US than in Ireland. We are so thrilled to be here and setting up our operations in this city which has a tradition of welcoming innovative technology companies. Not only are we investing in the city we’re also proud to be bringing employment at all levels, to the region,” Uber Ireland general manager, Kieran Harte said.

Some 50 positions will be available immediately with another 100 set to come on stream by the end of the year. The company has taken out a 10-year lease on a property on Thomas Street in the city centre and plans to add another 150 jobs once the centre is “fully up and running” which is expected to be around the end of next year.

Mr Harte said the IDA did a great job selling Ireland as a destination for the centre, adding that its vision of Limerick and the aspirations of people locally to make the city a tech hub made a huge contribution to impressing his team.

The Irish office will join the two in Arizona and Chicago as just the third such centre worldwide.

“Creating 300 jobs and with an investment of €4m planned for the city, Uber will become a major part of the Limerick economy.

“Ireland is proving to be a hugely attractive country for foreign investment, especially Limerick which has a history of attracting innovative technology companies due to our well-educated university graduates. We look forward to seeing Uber grow and thrive in the years ahead,” said Finance Minister, Michael Noonan.

IDA chief Martin Shanahan said the jobs will provide a major boost to the city which is already home to a number of global tech firms.

Meanwhile, biopharmaceutical services provider Parexel is creating 130 jobs at a new base in Dublin where it currently employs some 70 workers.

The company, whose headquarters are in Boston, provides research, consulting, medical communications and technology solutions and services to the worldwide pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries.

Uber job details are available at https://www.uber.com/jobs/list?keywords=&location=Ireland