Manchester will be one of two new Amazon fulfilment centres to open in the UK in 2016
Amazon has today announced that a new fulfilment centre in Manchester will open in the autumn, creating 1,000 new permanent jobs over three years.
Amazon will be recruiting for a range of positions, from operations managers to engineers, HR and IT roles to associates who will handle orders at the fulfilment centre near Manchester Airport.
Amazon announced last month that it is also opening a new fulfilment centre in Coalville, Leicestershire, in the autumn, creating 500 new permanent jobs over three years. The opening of the two new sites will take the number of Amazon fulfilment centres in the UK to 12.
The new roles are part of Amazon’s plans to create 2,500 permanent jobs in the UK this year, bringing the company’s total workforce to 14,500 by the end of 2016.
As well as creating more jobs in its UK fulfilment centres, Amazon is planning to hire up and down the country at its head office, research and development centres, customer service centres, Fashion Photography Studio and new Amazon Web Services (AWS) UK data centres, which are currently being built in the UK.  Amazon has invested more than £4.6 billion in the UK economy to build and run its UK business since 2010.
“We are excited to open our first fulfilment centre in the North West of England, creating 1,000 new permanent jobs over three years with competitive wages and comprehensive benefits starting on day one,†said John Tagawa, Amazon’s Vice President of UK Operations.
“We are proud to continue to add new permanent jobs to grow our dedicated and enthusiastic workforce who play a crucial role in delivering a first rate level of service for our customers.â€Â
All permanent Amazon fulfilment centre employees start on £7.20 an hour or more. This rate increases by at least 11 percent over their first two years of employment, by which time all employees earn £8 an hour or more. All permanent fulfilment centre employees are given stock grants, which over the last five years were on average equal to £1,000 or more per year per person. Fulfilment centre employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, a company pension plan, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount.
Amazon also runs an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides fulfilment centre employees funding for adult education, offering to pre-pay 95% of tuition and associated fees for nationally recognised courses, up to £8,000 over four years.
Mike Kane, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, said:
“This is fantastic news for residents of Wythenshawe and Sale East. 1,000 new permanent jobs over three years will open up new opportunities for many people in my constituency. This investment is another big step in the renaissance of Wythenshawe.â€Â
Amazon has ten fulfilment centres in the UK, including two in Doncaster and one each in Dunfermline, Dunstable, Gourock, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes, Peterborough, Rugeley and Swansea Bay. Two of these centres opened in 2015.
Amazon has started its recruitment programme for a range of positions, from operations managers to engineers, HR and IT roles at the fulfilment centre at Manchester Airport. These roles are listed on the Amazon careers website here. Amazon will begin hiring for other positions in the coming months.
Amazon holds public tours of its fulfilment centres in Rugeley and Hemel Hempstead. For more information, visit amazonfctours.co.uk.
