Slough: Over 200 new jobs to follow arvato expansion

Global business outsourcing partner arvato has announced plans to create more than 200 new, local jobs as the company expands operations at its Slough-based customer service centre.

The move follows arvato's successfully securing a five-year partnership with BMW Group in the UK and Ireland to provide customer service support for the premium automotive group’s BMW, MINI, Alphera and Motorrad brands.

The recruitment drive includes opportunities in customer services, specialist product and financial services consultation, retailer interaction, mobility support, team leadership, training and quality assurance. The majority of the jobs will be based at arvato’s UK & Ireland headquarters on Farnham Road, with a small group located at the BMW Group UK offices in nearby Farnborough.

Once in place, the teams will handle approximately four million customer and retailer interactions per year for BMW across telephone, email, web chat, SMS and social media.

Debra Maxwell, CEO, CRM and public sector UK & Ireland, arvato, said: “The availability of talented candidates was one of the key factors behind our decision to relocate our UK and Ireland headquarters to Slough in 2014 and we’re proud to be in a positon to create more local employment opportunities.”

Matthew Forrest, recruitment business partner at arvato UK & Ireland, added: “The new partnership will provide local people with the opportunity to work in a fun, dynamic and fast paced customer service environment for one of the world’s leading car manufacturers. We’ll be looking for applicants who are passionate about delivering an exceptional customer experience.”

Robert Anderson, leader of Slough Borough Council, said: “It’s great to see arvato continue its investment in the local economy and develop new job opportunities. The latest new contract win at arvato offers another fantastic opportunity for people in Slough to pursue a wide range of roles with a growing business.”

arvato is already a large employer in Slough, with 400 people based at its Farnham Road offices. The business entered into a 10-year partnership with Slough Borough Council in 2012, delivering transactional and corporate services to the Council including revenues and benefits, payroll, finance services, HR and logistics services. The partnership was extended in 2013 to include customer services and ICT.