Technology firm announces multifunctional hub and 17 jobs for Belfast

An international technology firm has announced plans for a multifunctional hub and 17 high-quality jobs in Belfast.

The New York-headquartered technology firm Symphony develops communications software for global finance with platforms for messaging, voice, directory and analytics, with some 625,000 financial services professionals from more than 1,000 institutions relying on Symphony.

Symphony president and chief executive officer Ben Chrnelich paid tribute to the Northern Ireland investment summit last September for bringing about the firm’s interest.

He said: “The NI investment summit was by far the best investment event I’ve ever been to and I was keen to explore the potential of Northern Ireland for Symphony.

“After speaking to other investors and to the local universities, we were convinced that Northern Ireland offered a great fit for us.

“The new hub will help Symphony to achieve its growth plans by providing the capacity required to support our rapidly-growing business.

“We are excited about the availability of talent in Northern Ireland and will be partnering with the universities to offer placement and employment opportunities in the future.

“Our intention is to grow beyond the initial 17 roles and establish a much larger operation in Belfast.”

Invest NI said the new jobs will span engineering, finance, legal and compliance roles, and while the company’s office space will be in Belfast, hybrid working options will create employment opportunities for people across Northern Ireland.

Steve Harper, Invest NI’s executive director of international business, said he believes more investment announcements will follow after the summit.

“The new jobs created by Symphony will all pay well above the Northern Ireland private sector median and will contribute £845,000 in additional annual salaries to the local economy,” he said.

“Symphony has indicated that Northern Ireland’s highly-skilled talent supply across a number of functions as well as strong business links to academia were important factors in its decision to locate here.

“The company’s presence here will further strengthen Northern Ireland’s reputation as a centre of excellence for tech and financial services.”

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said: “This jobs boost thanks to the Northern Ireland investment summit is great news for the economy, as well as for Symphony, who will be able to take advantage of local expertise and the talent pathway.

“The summit showcased Northern Ireland’s innovation and technological strengths, illustrating the benefits of doing business here and successfully attracting international investors.”