Pearson is expected to create up to 300 new jobs in the coming years, as it plans to unify its global finance function.
Educational publishing giant Pearson is to establish a new financial services centre and IT hub in Belfast.
Aiming to employ more than 300 people, it is understood that around 100 new roles are already in place, with more positions currently open.
‘This is part of a major efficiency programme across Pearson’s finance function, which will enable us to introduce global best practices and ultimately make the business simpler and more efficient’
– SUZANNE WILMOTT
The development follows news earlier this week that Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten has revealed 20 new hires for Belfast on the back of its acquisition of Bitnet last year.
Efficiency drive at Pearson
Pearson has been offered nearly £2m worth of support from the Department for the Economy and Invest Northern Ireland (NI) to secure this project.
“Pearson is the largest education company in the world, and this project represents a significant investment into the Northern Ireland economy, secured with our support,” said Alastair Hamilton, chief executive of Invest NI.
Pearson is one of the world’s largest education publishers and its products are used every day by millions of students and teachers around the world.
The company has 35,000 employees in 70 countries.
Pearson has been reducing its cost base and migrating towards being a leaner organisation by reducing fragmentation and duplication of its back office and enterprise infrastructure.
For example, the company is reducing the number of enterprise resource planning systems from more than 60 instances of separate systems down to a single instance of Oracle.
This latest move is a further significant step in a major efficiency drive across Pearson’s technology, finance, procurement, supply chain and HR functions.
“This is part of a major efficiency programme across Pearson’s finance function, which will enable us to introduce global best practices and ultimately make the business simpler and more efficient,” said Suzanne Wilmott, director and centre lead at Pearson Finance Services.
