A Co Armagh company is the latest to join the elite few independent private few firms to employ over 2,000 people.
Ciara Cassidy, from Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone, has just taken up the landmark 2,000th position at the Craigavon-based pharmaceutical development company Almac as an application support developer.
Her job will involve constant updating of Almac’s IT systems to help it provide services to more than 600 companies, including all the world leaders in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.
Stewart Watt, Almac’s Group HR Manager UK, said: “We are extremely fortunate to be enjoying global growth at a time of economic downturn and as a result we are able to offer employment in a wide variety of high value jobs.
“Our employees work in almost 600 different roles and we are constantly searching for talented staff to ensure our business success continues on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We have extremely low rates of staff turnover so the opportunities being provided are brand new jobs. At any one time our recruitment staff are working on filling up to 120 vacancies.
“There is a perception among some people that you need a scientific background to join Almac but for many of our jobs this is not the case. We currently have opportunities in information services, production manufacturing, engineering, quality and project management as well as HR and legal positions.”
Over the last six years Almac has experienced double digit growth year on year and last year the company created 183 new jobs. It is expected that the rate of recruitment will continue across all areas of its work in Craigavon and at its US headquarters.
Almac also employs around 1,200 people in America, over 900 of them at its $120m North American headquarters in Souderton, Philadelphia which was officially opened in May by former US Senator George Mitchell. The company also employs approximately 30 people in Edinburgh and Manchester.
Although many of its employees are leading scientists, the company’s rapid expansion has also created a wide range of opportunities in non-scientific jobs.