Self service and ATM giant NCR is looking to expand its Dundee workforce by taking on around 50 graduates and interns this year.
NCR, which operates a research and development centre of excellence in the city, is looking to recruit the best graduate talent to grow its Dundee headcount beyond 600 staff.
Students were given an insight into the wide range of products the firm supplies – including ATMs, self service machines, banking software and technical services – at a graduate fair last week.
NCR vice president Adam Crighton, who heads up the firm’s Dundee site, said NCR was keen to invest in new skills and talent in support of the company’s transition to a software and services led enterprise.
He said: “The number of graduates and interns we are looking to recruit is probably the highest it’s ever been in Dundee and we’re very excited about that.
“It’s a lot of extra jobs that present great opportunities for our graduate population to work and develop in a global organisation. Over the past three years NCR in Dundee has gone from being in the low 500s staffing wise, to 570 staff currently. This will take us beyond 600 employees.
“Our president and CEO Michael Hayford is really focused on graduate recruitment and we wanted to showcase that NCR is an exciting place to work.
“Something that has helped recruitment is the investment in the Waterfront and how Dundee is perceived. The PR work around that is genuinely making a difference in attracting talent.”
The Dundee NCR site covers all of the firm’s corporate functions, with research and development making up more than half the workforce.
NCR’s recent annual results showed growth across the group of 10% to sales of $6.92 billion.
Among the business units with the greatest growth was the banking division which grew 13% to $3.51bn, with ATM sales growing 33% year on year.
This was largely due to the global marketplace embracing NCR’s latest product range, the 80 Series, which was entirely developed in Dundee.
It goes far beyond the traditional roles of an ATM for checking a bank balance and withdrawing cash to being able to offer around 90% of the range of banking functions.
Mr Crighton said: “It was a really strong year across the group and in particular for ATMs.
“A lot of that growth has been because our customers have been investing in the latest technology.
“Our 80s series product family has really resonated in the marketplace and we’ve won significant share with the product’s more advanced set of capabilities.
“It’s the most flexible machine on the marketplace and I couldn’t be more proud of our Dundee staff in what they’ve achieved with it and of course our supply chain, operations and customer services teams around the world that ensure we deliver and maintain high quality solutions to our customers.”
NCR is the largest player in the retail self service marketplace in the UK, with all the Big Four supermarkets using its technology.
Carol Hamilton, NCR’s programme management director, said it was clear there was an appetite within the banking sector for ATM machines to do more.
She said: “The model we’ve seen in supermarkets of one member of staff overseeing multiple devices is now where we are seeing things move to in banking.
“We are seeing more UK banks looking for more of an assisted type experience at their ATMs.
“Everything that people are now used to doing in a shop they are more willing to do in other places. It’s all about creating great experiences by making it simple and as a result we are seeing this technology being migrated.
“The UK market has been a slower adopter compared to some other countries but we are now seeing traction here too.”
NCR also operates a campus in Edinburgh, where its team has helped developed a highly successful digital banking platform that is used by more than 600 institutions in the United States.
rmclaren@thecourier.co.uk