Dublin-headquartered biotech company Horizon Therapeutics is planning to hire 100 new staff over the next 18 months.
Half of the new hires will be based in Horizon’s manufacturing facility in Waterford. The company purchased the facility in 2021 from EirGen Pharma to support the growth of its on-market rare disease medicines and pipeline biologics.
The roles in Waterford will be high-end science and engineering specialist roles, which the company hopes to have filled by the end of this year.
The other 50 jobs will be based in Dublin, where Horizon has had its global headquarters since 2014.
Horizon’s hiring announcement coincided with the formal opening of its new global headquarters building in the capital today (9 May), located on St Stephen’s Green.
Horizon Therapeutics employs around 200 people in Ireland across a variety of key functions including finance, legal, technical operations and research and development.
Its operation is focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of medicines that address critical needs for people impacted by rare, autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases. Globally, it has around 2,000 employees.
“Ireland has been a wonderful location for Horizon for nearly 10 years and we as a company benefit enormously from the rich pool of talented and enthusiastic employees here,” said Timothy P Walbert, CEO of Horizon Therapeutics, at the opening of the new office.
“Ireland is a key part of our global strategy and we will continue to invest significantly here to enhance our business and to demonstrate our support for the wider community.”
The company also invests in scholarships to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Ireland access education. Over the past two years, Horizon has provided more than €120,000 in scholarships for students attending Trinity College Dublin and Waterford Institute of Technology, which is now part of South East Technological University.
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said: “Horizon is one of the next generation of high-growth biotech companies and its investment and job creation in both its Dublin global HQ and its advanced manufacturing facility in Waterford is very welcome and adds to Ireland’s growing biopharma industry.”
