US social media firm to create 100 jobs in City Factory

Metaverse Mod Squad - a global provider of managed digital engagement services - is establishing an operations centre in the City Factory.

The US-owned firm’s new centre, located at the City Factory, is a major part of Metaverse Mod Squad’s expansion in Europe.

Metaverse has many well-known projects including Electronic Arts, Warner Bros, National Geographic and HarperCollins. The company services those clients through its extensive network of moderators, customer support agents, community managers, and social media managers, also known as ‘Mods.’

Some Mods work from the company’s operation centre in Northern California, but the vast majority are home-based workers located in the United States and around the world.

Announcing the investment, Jonathan Bell said: “Metaverse is an innovative and dynamic company operating in a fast growth sector and I welcome its decision to choose Northern Ireland as the location for its new European operations centre.

“This is a good news story for Londonderry as the 100 new jobs will offer employment to a wide range of people, from those with technical and marketing experience to new graduates.

“Metaverse prides itself on providing a flexible working environment where employees will have opportunities to work on projects they are passionate about and have many opportunities for internal career progression.

“Metaverse Mod Squad joins an emerging technology and innovation cluster of companies which have chosen to set up in the region which is 6th highest in the UK for FDI jobs per head of population.

“Invest Northern Ireland has offered the company support of £250,000, to help with initial business priorities, including creating new jobs. This support, along with the quality pool of talent available here, helped Northern Ireland secure these new jobs against competition from the Republic of Ireland.”

Since 2007, Metaverse Mod Squad has been the service provider for Global 2000 companies, government and not-for-profit agencies. Technology, entertainment and gaming businesses have also relied on Metaverse to engage with their audiences and communities on a personal level across online, mobile, eCommerce, in-game, application, and social media channels.

Amy Ryan Pritchard, founder and CEO of Metaverse Mod Squad, said: “Digital engagement is critical to a company’s success and it’s an area that is set to grow significantly over the next few years.

“While we have been successfully operating in Europe with our distributed network of Mods since 2008, our clients and prospects want us to have an even larger and more involved presence; Derry is the first and essential step in this plan. With a talented and skilled workforce, a vibrant tech community and a supportive business environment, Derry is the right choice for Metaverse.”

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Elisha McCallion welcoming the jobs announcement said: “I am delighted to welcome these high quality jobs to the city and district.

“This investment marks a growing confidence in our local economy and recognition of our skills base and reputation for innovation. This much needed investment will not only bring employment but it demonstrates the company’s confidence in the city and region as a competitive and innovative place to do business.”