Opening its new European flagship office in London at the Cottons Centre, Jacobs has announced plans to hire around 2,400 staff in the UK over the next two years. The jobs will be a broad range of highly skilled professional and technical roles across diverse sectors. 

Joining Jacobs’ current 9,000 employees, the new roles will be based across the company’s 30+ UK offices, delivering digital and other advanced technical solutions to support more connected communities, cleaner air and water, cyber defences, strategic deterrent, clean energy and environmental clean-up. 

“Britain is a critical market for Jacobs,” said Jacobs president and chief operating officer Bob Pragada. “This investment is an indication of our ongoing confidence in the UK economy and its long-term infrastructure plans. Our people are helping to tackle some of the UK’s most complex challenges to make the future better, delivering projects to safeguard the environment and improve the security, connectivity, resiliency and productivity of the UK,” Pragada said.

Central to this investment in skills say Jacobs is a commitment to develop the next generation of diverse talent. One-third of Jacobs’ 1,300 new staff in the UK over the past year were graduates, interns and apprentices. As part of its strategy to continue developing talent, Jacobs is collaborating with the London Interdisciplinary School to create a new undergraduate programme integrated with the real world. Students will train to solve problems cross a variety of sectors. 

Jacobs also has programmes and a full suite of formal training to ensure existing employees are always learning. This includes courses to develop technical skills, continue professional development and train as mental health champions. Jacobs also offers an MSc in Business and Strategic Leadership with Cranfield University’s School of Management to develop high-potential leaders. 

At the London office opening, Professor Brian Cox spoke to 16 to18-year-olds from local London schools, aspiring engineers and Jacobs employees about the skills they will need for the future, giving inspirational ideas for future infrastructure projects.

“Jacobs’ work to encourage and help young people to build STEM careers is impressive,” said Professor Cox. “We are living in an exciting era of scientific discovery and rapid technological change, but we are also facing significant challenges as we try to build a better and sustainable future. What is certain is that the next generation’s jobs will be unrecognisable from those we see today.”

The company’s new London office is central to the company’s growth strategy in Europe and the Middle East. The Jacobs-designed office on the banks of the Thames, takes advantage of sustainable reuse of space to provide a flexible, collaborative and high-energy work environment for up to 1,000 employees. The progressive workplace solution is designed to enhance employee engagement and work performance through a wide range of space typologies and settings.