US Software Firm Expands Into NI

Up to 80 new tech jobs are to be created by Harness, the Modern Software Delivery Platform™ company, as it announces an expansion of its European operations in Northern Ireland.

Established in 2017 and headquartered in San Francisco, Harness has developed a world-class, end-to-end platform for complete software delivery that provides a simple, safe and secure way for engineering and DevOps teams to release applications into production quickly, securely, reliably and efficiently.

Welcoming the announcement, Economy Minister Gordon Lyons, said: "Harness is a fast-growing, innovative Silicon Valley start-up and a valuable addition to Northern Ireland's technology sector. It is cutting-edge, entrepreneurial companies like Harness that will help to shape Northern Ireland's economic future and support my Department's 10X vision where innovation will be the engine for growth in this decade.

"By establishing its European engineering office here, Harness will create 80 high quality jobs over three years. With hybrid working, people from all over Northern Ireland will be able to apply for these excellent opportunities. The positions on offer will attract interest across the experience spectrum – from graduates through to those considering returning and relocating to Northern Ireland to further their career.

"I am pleased that we have been able to secure this investment based on the quality of our talent at every level."

Invest NI has helped secure the 80 jobs for Northern Ireland. The roles will be a hybrid of remote working and in-person based out of Urban HQ, Belfast office. 

Jyoti Bansal, Harness co-founder and CEO, said: "We are excited about the range of positions we are creating in Northern Ireland. Our team here will play an important role in expanding the Harness platform for our customers that rely on it to build and deploy their most important software. With many of our customers already located in the city, investing in our Belfast presence puts Harness in the centre of one of Europe's strongest technology hubs. We look forward to seeing all the ways our new employees will contribute to the future of Harness."

Recruitment is under way, with 30 new jobs already in place. Harness plans on hiring roles ranging from graduate to senior experience levels, across engineering, UX, management and customer success.

Also welcoming the company to Northern Ireland, Mel Chittock, Invest NI interim CEO, said: "Our West Coast and Northern Ireland teams have been working closely with Harness since 2019 to showcase all that our technology sector has to offer global businesses, and secure this investment.

"There are over 30,000 people in Northern Ireland employed in ICT roles, with graduates adding to this every year. There are also initiatives to help attract talent back to Northern Ireland, so that we have the right talent for this growing sector. By investing here, Harness will create new entrant positions, career progression opportunities and attract new talent to the region, to fuel its continued innovation and international growth."