Facebook adds 100 positions to workforce at Dublin office

Facebook is expanding its Irish workforce, adding 100 positions at its European headquarters in Dublin.

The latest announcement brings numbers employed at the Dublin base to 500. Recruitment has already begun for the new positions, which include roles in advertising, safety and user operations.

The jobs were announced by Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton yesterday and come only days after Ebay said it would add 450 posts in Co Louth. Mr Bruton described the announcement as a “significant expansion” and a “major endorsement” of the city’s tech environment.

Tech talent

The company said availability of international tech talent in Ireland was partly behind its decision to expand here. “These jobs, which reflect growth in markets across Europe but also [in] the Middle East and Africa, mean we will not only be recruiting from the local economy but supporting local businesses by increasing our footprint,” said Gareth Lambe, acting head of office for Facebook Ireland.

The jobs were also welcomed by Ibec group ICT Ireland. Director Paul Sweetman said the growth of the sector was continuing “at pace”, with more than 720 jobs announced since the start of the year. The social network, which was founded in 2004, came to Ireland in 2009. Its Irish-based staff are involved in a broad range of tasks from user operations, policy and safety to advertising and sales.

Data protection

The Irish office is responsible for users of the site outside of the US and Facebook is subject to Irish data protection and privacy laws as a result.

The company has already been audited by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, a review that found the firm still had some work to do to allay the concerns of privacy watchdogs in Europe.

Facebook recently scored a legal victory in Germany when a court suspended an order that would force the social network to allow users to register under a pseudonym. Facebook is just one of a number of investment wins for IDA Ireland in recent years. The agency is attempting to build Ireland’s reputation as a tech hub and has attracted firms such as LinkedIn, Dropbox and Twitter in recent years.

IDA Ireland chief executive Barry O’Leary said social media was a key strategic industry in terms of job creation.

“No brand name better represents that sector’s thriving growth than Facebook. The latest expansion and the nature of the employment being created illustrate how important the company is to the digital media cluster Ireland has developed over recent years,” he said.