300 new jobs for Ernst & Young

ACCOUNTANCY firm Ernst & Young is hiring 300 people over the next 18 months in anticipation of the recovery of the economy, it said.

It said the hirings are also due to new business opportunities at the firm. They are looking for graduates, qualified accountants and senior executives. There are also a number of roles in the fraud investigations and dispute services team.

Recruitment will take place at their offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Belfast.

The drive will increase Ernst & Young’s workforce in Ireland by over a third from 1,100.

The firm is looking for 150 graduates for a 2011 start across all of its offices in Ireland.

Managing partner at Ernst & Young, Mike McKerr said: “We are delighted to announce such a substantial number of new jobs at what has been a challenging time for job creation in Ireland. Although it has been a difficult few years for our profession, we are seeing new opportunities arise as businesses seek advice on cost reduction, growth and recovery from the financial crisis.

“Investing in our people and building the next generation is essential to sustain the growth of our business. We are confident of attracting outstanding new talent to help us deliver to our clients.”

This move is part of the overall investment by Ernst & Young across its British and Irish advisory practices over the next three years.

“We have largely achieved our goal of protecting our capacity during the downturn by carefully managing our cost base and increasing the throughput of work. Whilst we have continued to maintain our graduate recruitment numbers, our more conservative approach to overall hiring in recent years has ensured that we are in a position to make this substantial investment in our business and our people,” said Mr McKerr.

He said the Irish business makes a “vital and significant contribution” to the development of the company’s global business.

He added he was looking forward to welcoming some outstanding individuals to the firm.

Meanwhile, in just over 18 months, TaxAssist Accountants has created employment for 27 people and opened nine shops across the country. The company aims to create a further 20 jobs in 2011 in Ireland.