Amazon looks to fill 100 new posts at its London tech hub

Amazon will create 100 new jobs at its London-based global digital media development centre.

The centre, which is located near The Barbican, opened in September and is home to the design and development teams for Pushbutton and LOVEFiLM.

Paula Byrne, managing director of Amazon's London centre, said that London has many talented individuals in the technology sector who can help to improve Amazon's digital offering.

Specifically, Amazon is looking for software development engineers, user-interface experts and graphic designers.

"We have always known that there is a wealth of tech talent here in London and we continue to look for the most creative minds in the UK to work on the next generation of TV and film services for Amazon customers all over the world," said Byrne.

"There has never been a more exciting time in the technology world, with constant innovation resulting in exceptional experiences for consumers, and we are looking for 100 new recruits to play an integral part in the future of Amazon's digital offering," she added.

In July last year, an Amazon spokesperson told Computing that its focus for the eight-floor 47,000sq ft centre was "on getting the existing team into the building. But we are a growing company and we may well look to recruit in the future".

At the time, some voiced fears that Amazon's arrival could have a negative impact on many of the technology start-ups in the Silicon Roundabout area as retaining talent could be tricky against such competition.

Julian Ehrhardt, head of business at digital design firm UsTwo, said that smaller start-ups in particular could suffer as a consequence of Amazon's presence, particularly if rent prices increased as a result of the move. Today's announcement could well test start-ups' resolve in retaining talented staff.

In September, Amazon UK said it would create more than 2,000 permanent jobs throughout 2013 and 2014, with the opening of three new distribution centres.

These promised jobs include roles in IT, HR, facilities management, learning and development, in addition to a range of operational management areas.