BioMarin tops LinkedIn list of best places to work in Ireland

AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant, and ServiceNow, the US-based software provider, took the second and third spots respectively as pharma and biotech dominated the list.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical has been declared the best company to work for in Ireland by LinkedIn in its latest annual ranking of employers.

Headquartered in San Rafael, California, BioMarin is a global biotechnology giant founded in 1997 that specialises in enzyme replacement therapies. After ranking eighth on the LinkedIn list last year, the company has now taken the top spot after being deemed to offer the “best combination” of career growth, skills development opportunities and job stability.

A year ago this month, BioMarin officially opened the expansion of its Shanbally manufacturing plant in Co Cork, where it has had a presence for more than a decade. The €38m expansion allowed the company – which employs more than 500 people in Ireland – to increase its manufacturing capacity significantly.

AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant, and ServiceNow, the US-headquartered global software provider, took the second and third spots respectively. Both companies have been investing heavily in Ireland recently.

AstraZeneca appointed Alex Wilkes as its country president for Ireland in October last year. In 2022, it announced plans to invest €65m to expand its Irish manufacturing and R&D operations. This followed an announcement in 2021 that the multinational biopharma firm was making a major investment in a new manufacturing facility in Dublin.

Meanwhile, ServiceNow announced the creation of 400 new jobs at its Dublin office last June. The jobs – to be filled over a three-year period – include roles across its digital sales, engineering, research and development teams.

Overall, pharma and medtech companies dominated this year’s list with 13 out of 25 being from these sectors, up from nine last year. Biotech research company Gilead Sciences bagged the top spot last year but came in at tenth in this year’s list revealed today (16 April).

Polly Dennison, news editor at LinkedIn, said the list of top companies features the best workplaces for growing one’s career in Ireland.

“The 25 companies on the list are helping to shape the future of work in Ireland, cultivating workplaces where staff can thrive, thanks to investment in professional development, innovative work practices and an environment where diversity and inclusion are celebrated. They are setting the bar high and reaping the reward in terms of being able to attract and retain the best talent,” she said.

“BioMarin’s achievement of securing the top slot … reflects the investment that the company is making in its people. The biopharma sector has grown in popularity over recent years among prospective employees, with the sense of purpose in helping to treat people proving to be a highly motivating factor.”

Here is this year’s full list of the LinkedIn top 25 companies to work for and grow your career in Ireland.

1. BioMarin Pharmaceutical
2. AstraZeneca
3. ServiceNow
4. Bristol Myers Squibb
5. Bank of America
6. Intel Corporation
7. Pfizer
8. Boston Scientific
9. EY
10. Gilead Sciences
11. Merck Group
12. Regeneron
13. Eli Lilly
14. Mastercard
15. Medtronic
16. Aon
17. JP Morgan Chase & Co
18. PepsiCo
19. ICON
20. Alphabet
21. UnitedHealth Group
22. Deloitte
23. Apple
24. Sanofi
25. Coca Cola

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