Amazon has revealed plans to hire for 1,800 tech and corporate roles across its Canadian offices by the end of 2021.
These plans, which are tied to Amazon’s previous growth announcements, represent the latest step in the company’s larger push to expand its Canadian presence, as the American e-commerce giant looks to bolster its workforce to meet growing customer demand for its products and services. The news comes around eight months after Amazon first said it planned to add 3,500 new corporate and tech jobs in Toronto and Vancouver. Amazon confirmed to BetaKit that the 1,800 new jobs are part of this goal.
These hires are the latest step in Amazon’s push to expand in Canada.
“Amazon is proud to create good jobs that provide opportunities for employees to develop new skills and grow their careers while innovating on behalf of customers,” said Jesse Dougherty, Amazon VP and Vancouver site lead.
The planned hires are set to support teams across Amazon, including Amazon Web Services, Alexa, Amazon Advertising, and its Retail and Operations Technology division. Amazon told BetaKit most of these jobs will be based out of Amazon’s Toronto and Vancouver tech hubs, while some will be located at Amazon’s other corporate offices across Canada.
Amazon currently has 1,500 Canadian positions open for roles related to software, data engineering, sales, and marketing. An Amazon spokesperson told BetaKit the company is so focused on expanding in Toronto and Vancouver given the “world-class universities” located in the two cities and the “strong talent pipeline” they sustain.
The retail firm currently employs over 23,000 full and part-time workers at the company’s fulfillment centres, corporate offices, development centres, and other facilities. Amazon has locations in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Québec.
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According to the e-commerce giant, between 2010 and 2019, Amazon invested more than $11 billion CAD in Canada between infrastructure investments and employee compensation.
Last month, Amazon revealed plans to expand its presence in BC with five new locations in the Metro Vancouver area, supporting 2,000 new fulfilment and delivery centre jobs. In April, Amazon launched its IP Accelerator program for Amazon sellers in Canada.
Amazon recently postponed Prime Day due to COVID-19 outbreaks at some of its facilities, including at its fulfillment centres in Ontario’s Peel Region, which has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic.
With the hiring news, Amazon joins a group of large US tech firms that have recently sought to expand their presence in Canada, a list that includes Pinterest, MasterClass, DoorDash, and Microsoft.
Photo of Amazon’s Vancouver tech hub, courtesy of Amazon