Software giant SAP to add 150 jobs over next 18 months

Global business software maker SAP plans to create an additional 150 jobs in Ireland over the next 18 months to enhance its services offering and to strengthen its customer centre of expertise organisation.

The German company said these would be the first steps in transforming its operating model to support customers in adopting SAP product innovations and cloud solutions in a “simpler, faster way”.

The listed group is celebrating 20 years in Ireland, where it employs 1,880 staff at facilities in Dublin and Galway. The new jobs were announced by its global chief executive Bill McDermott, who was in Dublin for a number of events.

Speaking in DCU at an event on talent and leadership hosted by the college and Irish Times Executive Jobs, Mr McDermott suggested this could be the first step in a much wider expansion by SAP of its activities here as it continues to innovate in the digital arena.

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“Ireland is a beautiful country but also it’s a very business-friendly country,” he said. “It’s a very young country, the infrastructure, the technology, biotech, fintech, all of the things that are really contributing to the new economy can be done here.

Increase jobs

“So we’re going to make a pledge to increase jobs here. In [the past] three years, we’ve doubled the size of our workforce here. Why should I not believe that in [another] three years we won’t quadruple or even quintuple the size of our workforce here? I believe that we can.”

Speaking at the event, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O' Connor, said the jobs announcement by SAP was "vindication of the competitive advantage" Ireland could offer to information and communications technology (ICT) companies.

“We have made strenuous efforts to ensure that the skills necessary for ICT companies like SAP are available here, and this decision vindicates that policy,” she said.

IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan said SAP's investment in Ireland and "ongoing education initiatives" had "greatly enhanced Ireland's technology ecosystem".

SAP’s staff in Ireland work across 40 lines of business – from research and development to sales and customer support. It employs staff from about 60 countries, who between them speak 47 languages.

Community initiatives

The company develops technology and innovation through SAP Labs Ireland, alongside driving community initiatives. These include GIRLSmart4tech, FIRST LEGO League and Skills@work, all of which aim to increase education opportunities and access to tech careers to support and grow the Irish economy.

SAP also used the event to launch its digital boardroom approach for the first time in Ireland. The company describes this as a “breakthrough concept” that aims to “contextualise and simplify performance reporting across all areas of business in real time”.

Founded in Walldorf in 1972, SAP develops enterprise software for companies large and small. Listed in Germany and New York, it has 86,000 employees globally and 350,000 customers. The company is forecasting full-year revenues of €23 billion for 2017, and a market value of €115 billion.