Job announcements for May week 1

An ideal time to approach an organisation is when it is planning or experiencing major change. Growth, new contracts, increased profits, new offices, new divisions or changes in strategy call all trigger the need for new people and skills. We track these announcements every week. Here are the top 15 for this week:

thebigword
Leeds based language services firm, thebigword, is recruiting up to 1,000 extra linguists to help meet demand from its expanding international growth. Combined revenues for the nine global offices are to reach £42m by the year ending May 2012. The business is doubling its public sector revenue during 2012 after contract wins in the UK and the United States. These include four year contract with the Home Office to provide face-to-face interpreting in than 250 different languages and dialects. The company has also won preferred supplier status for interpreting services to 12 London NHS trusts.

Nakama
Technology recruitment company Nakama is expanding internationally due to exceptional growth in the smartphone market. The company has applied for a licence to operate in Shanghai, China, and is also opening an office in Singapore in April 2012. Staff numbers are expected to grow from 50 to 75 by the end of 2012.

Blitz Games
Expanding games developer Blitz is creating 20 roles at all levels at its base in Leamington Spa, West Midlands. Jobs will be available for senior, tools and graphics programmers. Blitz is working on several new titles and is working in partnership with global publishers. 2010 turnover £10.3m, 218 employees.

Barton Technology
Surrey-based Barton Technology has opened three new branches in the South East after securing new business. It is creating 10 jobs at the offices in London, Horsham and Maidstone. The company, which provides IT and telecoms services, is recruiting for engineer and sales support roles. It currently employs 18 staff.

Brewin Dolphin
Investment manager Brewin Dophin is opening an office in Ipswich in May 2012, increasing its national network of offices to 42. The Ipswich office will be run by a team of four former Barclays Wealth employees. Brewin Dolphin manages £24bn of funds for 130,000 private clients. 2011 turnover £264m, 1,863 employees.

Southern Electric Gas
Southern Electric is expanding its annual energy review service, creating 200 new jobs at its Hampshire customer service centre in service and managerial positions

Glenside Care Group
Glenside Care Group has acquired the former Winterbourne View Independent Hospital in Bristol. The company will spend £1.5m refurbishing and adapting the facility as a neurological centre. Glenside currently employs 350 staff and expects to create 100 jobs by the time the hospital is fully operational.

Elekta
Elekta, a global medical technology company dedicated to oncology and neuroscience clinical advancements, has created 80 new positions at its Crawley plant to support the manufacturing of its new cancer treatment.

Decora Blind Systems
Lisburn window blind manufacturer Decora Blind Systems is creating 79 jobs with support from Invest Northern Ireland's Jobs Fund. The company is investing £2million in additional salaries over the two years to 2014. It currently employs 377 people.

Positive Outcomes
Nottingham recruitment specialist Positive Outcomes is looking to fill 50 jobs after three years of significant growth and business success. Turnover has increased tenfold and staff numbers increased from 45 to 250 since 2009. The company is also looking to increase their office space by 2000 sq ft.

Barrhead Travel 2007
Scottish travel company Barrhead Travel has opened its first office in England in Cumbria, creatin 40 jobs. The company plans to expand further over the next six months. It employs 550 people in 34 offices across Scotland.

LSL Property Services
The parent company of estate agent Your Move and Reeds Rains, LSL Property Services, is to expand its Exeter business operations creating more than 40 jobs. The Company is to relocate its insurance and financial services support divisions to provide room for their expansion.

Cygnet Group Limited
Cheshire engineering group Cygnet has created 40 new jobs as part of the relocation of its automation and machinery business Cygnet Integrated Solutions. The business has moved locations, and is targeting a threefold increase in turnover in 2012 with projects worth nearly £20m.

Angus Dundee Distillers
Angus Dundee Distillers has brought a dormant whisky bottling plant in Coatbridge back into full production, creating 33 jobs.

M/A-COM Technology Solutions
M/A-COM Technology Solutions, a leading supplier of high performance analog semiconductor solutions, is to expand operations in its Cork base in Ireland. Thirty new jobs will be created at the base as a direct result. The Cork plant acts as international headquarters and the centre for the company’s integrated circuit design.

Abintegro
May 12