Sunderland software firm to almost double staff levels

Saggezza, which currently employs 20 people at its offices in Sunderland Software Centre, is to recruit 15 new staff immediately.

The firm, which has a range of clients nationally and internationally, is hiring at graduate level and above after a series of new contract wins which mean it needs to expand rapidly.

The Chicago-headquartered business, which moved into Sunderland just over two years ago, has made a long-term commitment to the city, and intends to increase staff levels by at least 15 to 20 people a year.

The business, which has offices around the world, chose Sunderland to be its first UK base outside London on the back of Wearside's heavy investment in software and technology facilities, with and is concentrating UK recruitment in the city.

Managing director of UK operations Martin Williams is delighted to be adding to the team again: "We have seen excellent growth since we took on the Sunderland office, and we have been delighted with the calibre of talent we have been able to attract to Saggezza, with some fantastic graduates joining the team from the University of Sunderland, as well as other North East universities," he said.

"We have been clear about our intention to grow the UK business, with our Sunderland site being the driving force, and the decision to immediately add 15 new members of staff to this site is a statement of our commitment to the North East."

Alex Woodhouse, HR and operations assistant, leading the Sunderland office, added: "We are working really closely with universities in the area to help draw the best talent. We have a tremendous base in the Software Centre and we are at the heart of a region that has a rich talent pool to draw from, so it’s an easy decision for us to invest in Sunderland."

Saggezza, which provides expertise in the areas of big data analytics, customer communications management, and user experience design, has clients in South Africa, the US and India.

HR director Lucy Harber said: "We reward talent, and part of the offer is a fast-track technical lead programme, which can see our recruits move through the ranks very quickly, with the chance to advance their career globally with the business.

"There are limitless opportunities within the business, and we believe this has allowed us to attract great talent – and is what we hope will bring in the best team as we add to our number again."

Saggezza has been supported by Sunderland City Council, as it has added to its team. Council leader Coun Paul Watson said: "Saggezza is a fantastic business, and one that has really prospered in Sunderland.

"We are delighted that there is further growth ahead for the business, creating more jobs and bringing more wealth to the city’s economy. The rapid growth seen has been very impressive, and we hope it shows other businesses in this field that we have the right environment and people to drive businesses forward."

Saggezza are current hiring for a variety of roles including associate systems analysts, integration architects, .net developers and technical project managers. For more information about Saggezza and the roles available visit www.saggezza.com/careers or follow @saggezza_inc on Twitter. To find out more about Sunderland as a place for software businesses, follow @MAKEitSund, visit www.makeitsunderland.com, email [email protected] or call 0191 561 1194.