The Fintech sector in Northern Ireland is now worth approximately £392m to the economy. It has quickly become the envy of many regions with Northern Ireland being identified as globally the top region for Fintech inward investment and was previously listed as one of the top 10 European Cities of the Future. Fintech simply put is a combination of “finance” and “technology”, it’s ever-evolving and uses technology to automate or create solutions for financial activities or transactions. With more and more traditional high street, bricks and mortar banks adopting technology to stay relevant and compete with the rise of newer, challenger banks investment in fintech has increased and so have the opportunities.
Following an independent review of the Fintech industry by Sir Ron Kalifa in 2020, the published Kalifa Review of UK. Fintech further strengthened Northern Ireland’s credentials as a Centre of Excellence, with the report identifying Northern Ireland as a specialist cluster or key regional hub particularly because of the existing ecosystem, especially RegTech, Insurtech, Wealthtech and payment operations, and the ability to access quality STEM talent.
In 2021 the NI Department for Economy published “A 10x Economy” which set out a transformational vision to deliver growth and inclusion through innovation. Within the vision, the DfE identified five priority clusters and Fintech is firmly at the heart of it with bold plans to create potentially 11,000 new jobs within the next decade.
Fintech in the past may not have been an industry that many Engineers may have considered before, but with bold ambitions set by the Central Government alongside the Belfast Agenda and City Deals driving innovation, the opportunity to drive change and make Northern Ireland a global can take your career to the next level.
From having worked with some of Northern Ireland’s premier Fintechs over the past 14 years we have helped scale and grow some of the most talented development teams in the industry, here are some of the top reasons why you should work in Fintech:
- Complexity – Financial Services are complicated never mind throwing technology into the mix, so you will have the opportunity to be challenged and solve real-life complex problems.
- Reward – Fintechs are normally well-funded organisations, even Startups, so you will be well paid alongside a good benefits package including bonuses, stock options, pension and private medical to name but a few on offer.
- Career development – Fintech is a continuously growing industry and is normally at the fore of new technology and innovation so whether you are a Software Engineer, Business Analyst or Product Manager there will be lots of opportunities to develop your skills and further your career.
- Truly borderless – Fintech is a truly global industry so there is the opportunity to work across time zones and without geographical boundaries, creating products used in each corner of the globe.
- Job security – Domain experience within Fintech is highly valued, so your experience will be in demand as organisations place a premium on those with product and market knowledge alongside technical skills.
If you are a Software Engineer, Business Analyst, Quality Analyst or Product Manager looking for that next opportunity or curious about the Fintech industry in Northern Ireland, make sure to check out our IT & Digital opportunities or reach out to one of our Specialist Recruitment Consultants in confidence for a chat today.
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