BUSINESS: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES GIANT CREATES 60 JOBS AT NEW OFFICE
Centre will help business in the city
SIXTY NEW jobs are to be created in Bradford with the opening of a new Assurance Centre from professional services giant PwC.
PwC will open the 9,000 sq ft office space this month on Godwin Street and said it has the potential to grow a total headcount in the city to 225.
The Assurance Centre is designed to allow PwC to provide client services by standardising work in key areas of their engagements and to be able to use technology effectively through automation.
The deal has been in the pipeline for several months but is only being made public today.
Its opening has been facilitated by officers from Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority working with PwC.
Will Richardson, PwC’s Leeds Office Senior Partner, who was born in Harrogate and grew up in Masham, said; “Our new PwC Assurance Centre is one of our key priorities in delivering a best in class proposition as one of the world’s leading professional services firms.
“Not only will it offer our people the opportunity to work more flexibly and help reduce the travel required, they will also gain great experience working with a breadth of nationally based clients from SMEs to large corporations.
“Bradford is one of the largest cities in the UK, and the youngest city, offering a large and talented workforce that has so much to offer not just Northern Powerhouse growth but the UK’s economic growth too. Helping to support inclusive growth by investing in Bradford drives right to the heart of our PwC Purpose and Social Mobility agenda.”
The move was wamly welcomed in the city.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council and chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said; “Its great news that such a prestigious brand is coming to Bradford for the first time. It’s also great news for the Leeds City Region that PwC is expanding its presence in our part of the world, creating skilled jobs and opportunities for local people.
“PwC want to attract the talents of the future and it’s brilliant that they acknowledge that Bradford, as the UK’s youngest city, is the place to do that. We look forward to working with them over the coming months and years.”
Kersten England, Chief Executive of Bradford Council, said; “PwC’s decision to build a presence in Bradford is a further vote of confidence in the dynamism of the sector and talent pool in the city. With a strong education sector, great transport links to London and the rest of the North, and a growing international reputation for financial and professional services innovation, it’s no wonder that Leeds City Region is the most significant regional financial and professional services centre in the country.
“We look forward to working with PwC to make sure this new office is a success both for the firm and for the city.”
PwC already employs more than 750 people at its base in Leeds’s Central Square, at which it is the anchor tenant.
Clients include public and private companies, central and local government, banks and legal firms, private individuals and not-for-profit organisations.