Apple to recruit Russian manager

Apple has advertised a key position to lead its expansion into the vast Russian market from its European headquarters in Cork.

The Russian chat team manager will head up its soon-to-be launched Russian online store, industry reports said yesterday.

Based at Apple’s flagship plant in Hollyhill, on the northside of Cork City, the successful candidate will lead what the company describes as a team of between 12 to 15 “dynamic advisors”, pushing them to “meet or exceed business goals ensuring that all Apple customers are receiving an excellent service”. The manager will also have responsibility for hiring the team staff.

Industry experts said the advertising of the position is a clear indication that Apple is bringing its online store to Russia. The company has no Apple stores in the Russian territories, which means anyone who wants to buy an Apple product there has to deal with third-party retailers.

Apple has also advertised for several other Russian- speaking roles based in Russia, including a marketing manager for the country, the rest of the Commonwealth of Independent States region, and Turkey, a regional label relations executive, and several other positions.

The marketing manager, based in Moscow, will play a key role in driving the growth of Apple’s iTunes business in the area.

Meanwhile, construction work is continuing on a massive extension of the Hollyhill plant, where about 2,800 people work on production, distribution, supply chain, and back-office operations. The new office block, which will be linked to the existing plant, will accommodate an expected 500 additional staff.