Citigroup is seeking 400 more staff for its Belfast office as it expands rapidly outside of London, according to a senior executive at the bank.
More than 300 employees have already joined the Wall Street giant in Belfast this year, taking the total to 3,700, James Bardrick, the firm's U.K. country officer, said in an interview. Citi wants to fill hundreds more roles, ranging from entry-level positions to directorships.
"Whether it's compliance, legal HR, markets support functions or technology, these activities are all wanting more people in Belfast," Bardrick said. "There's nothing to suggest that the organic rates of growth that we've seen recently won't continue."
A number of financial companies have sped up growth in U.K. cities outside London as they try to cut costs and reshape operations, particularly after the pandemic. Goldman Sachs Group announced last year that it was
Citi began its Northern Ireland operation in 2005, with 375 graduates in technology roles that the bank struggled to fill in London. Now it says it's the region's biggest financial services employer, with staff across operational functions.
"The education system is absolutely smashing and more and more people are saying 'I've been to university and school in Belfast, I live here, I love it,"' Bardrick said. He added that staff are paid "substantially above" the average in Northern Ireland, which is £29,000, according to a
Still, the Belfast office is less than half the size of its London operation, which employs 10,000 people. The firm is spending more than
— With assistance from Morwenna Coniam.
