Mastercard creates 1,500 tech jobs in Ireland

Mastercard is recruiting an additional 1,500 technology professionals in Dublin as it expands its tech operations in the Irish capital.

The US credit card company already has 650 workers at its tech hub in Dublin, and will add 1,500 more over the next three years. The hub is part of the firm’s global IT delivery network.

Mastercard said professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence, cyber security, blockchain and user experience are examples of the roles being created.

Ken Moore, executive vice-president of product and innovation, and head of Mastercard Labs, said: “We look forward to welcoming new people with unique ideas to our already strong workforce, ensuring we continue to provide cutting-edge payment technology solutions for our customers and consumers globally. We’re confident our new workplace will provide a collaborative environment to do this and we look forward to moving into our new home.”
 
Martin Shanahan, CEO at IDA Ireland, which is responsible for attracting foreign investment to the country, said Mastercard’s move demonstrates a “substantial commitment to Ireland, making it a key location in the company’s global operations”.

Earlier this month, fintech Revolut said it was creating 50 new jobs in Ireland as it moves its European payments operation from London. It is making the changes because EU passporting rights, which allow EU banks to serve customers across the trading bloc, could end for UK banks. With uncertainty caused by Brexit and increasing consumer demand, Revolut will hire in Ireland this year to serve its Western Europe business customers.

Although there is often talk of Paris attracting UK firms, Ireland has announced the creation of thousands of new jobs since the UK referendum on EU membership. IDA has announced that companies within its remit have added thousands of jobs in Ireland. These include Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Barclays, which have all expanded in Ireland as part of their Brexit planning.

In 2018, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, a financial trade processing infrastructure provider, opened an office and recruited staff in Dublin to ensure it could continue to provide its services to customers in the EU after the UK leaves.

Separately, Mastercard has recently invested in a new cyber security resilience centre at its European headquarters in Belgium, which is designed to foster regional collaboration and innovation in security between industry and public sector and regulatory bodies.

This is the first such centre Mastercard has opened outside North America. The company said it plans to bring together a diverse pool of talent from across its global community to focus on the threats faced by the payments ecosystem in Europe.