Amazon is hiring 100 for new tech and corporate roles in Scotland – covering a wide rang of professions from software developers and product managers, to machine learning specialists and applied sciences.
The recruitment drive will add to the tech giant’s footprint in the country which includes a development centre in Edinburgh and over 2,500 staff.
Edinburgh was Amazon’s first research and development centre outside of North America and it has a well-earned reputation as a global centre for innovation, software engineering and machine learning.
Graeme Smith, managing director, Amazon Development Centre Scotland (ACDS), said: “These highly skilled jobs join our incredibly talented teams in Scotland and provide exciting opportunities for those who want to be at the cutting edge of global technology. Our employees benefit hundreds of millions of customers around the world by focusing on personalised shopping recommendations, digital advertising and research and development.”
Amazon has more than 2,500 employees in Scotland – across the Amazon Development Centre in Edinburgh, fulfilment centres in Dunfermline and Gourock, as well as the Prime Now site in Glasgow, Customer Service Centre in Edinburgh and delivery stations in Edinburgh, Dundee, Bathgate, Aberdeen, Baillieston and Motherwell.
Job-seekers who are looking for a new role or to transition to a different career – at Amazon or at another company – are also being encouraged to participate in Amazon Career Day on Thursday 16 September, a free virtual training and recruiting event. The day will give attendees the opportunity to participate in one of the 3,000 one-to-one career coaching sessions with Amazon recruiters to help participants land their next job and view livestreamed sessions with Amazon employees and industry experts. People can register at amazoncareerday.com, where Amazon Career Day content will be available to view on demand for one month after the event.
The initiative takes place in the context of new research from Amazon, surveying 1,000 professional (employed and unemployed) adults in the UK in August 2021, highlighting:
· 21% of UK professionals are actively searching for a new job
· A further 38% of UK professionals are interested in finding a new job, but not actively looking
· Among employed adults in the UK, 29% say the COVID-19 pandemic has caused them to reconsider their career paths
· 42% of active UK job-seeking adults are interested in pursuing opportunities in industries they do not currently have experience in
· 78% of professionals in the UK say they want more job training/resources
“We are working hard every day to be the best place for people to have satisfying and fulfilling long-term careers,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. “Amazon continues to grow quickly and relentlessly invent across many areas, and we’re hoping that Career Day gives job seekers the support they need to learn new skills or reimagine their careers at Amazon or elsewhere.”
“Whether you’re looking to start your first job, to gain new skills, or thinking of a completely fresh start in a new field, we have thousands of exciting opportunities available right across the UK,” said John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager. “We created Career Day to provide free guidance, coaching and inspiration to anyone who wants to develop their career, whether that’s with Amazon or somewhere else. Whether you see your long term future at Amazon or elsewhere, we provide a wide range of training and development opportunities to take your career to the next level.”
Career Day attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Amazon employees including gaming, robotics, AI and sustainability experts, as well as colleagues who have joined Amazon on fully-funded apprenticeships. Each will reveal what they do, what their career path was, and what it’s like working at Amazon. Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce will also be hosting a panel about apprenticeships at Amazon and opportunities for people of all ages and skill levels to diversify and progress their careers.
Amazon now employs over 55,000 employees across the UK. All Amazon jobs come with competitive pay and benefits, whether they are based in a fulfilment centre or in a corporate office. For hourly workers, pay starts at a minimum of £10.00 p/h. Amazon employees work in some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world, with a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount, which combined are worth more than £700 annually, as well as a company pension plan.
This year, Amazon has created 10,000 new permanent jobs and 1,000 new fully-funded apprenticeship roles. For employees who see Amazon as a stepping stone to a future career outside of Amazon, it has also created a pioneering Career Choice programme, through which Amazon pre-pays up to 95% of tuition fees for nationally recognised courses, ranging from accountancy to HGV driving and software development. Up to £8,000 of tuition fees over four years is available through the programme. Amazon is partnering with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and local businesses on the programme to identify regional skills shortages and focus training on local demand – this will help meet the UK’s future employment needs outside of Amazon.