Hiring alert: These 3 DC companies will be bringing in new tech talent in 2022

While VC dollars and startups have been some of the most-notable booms in 2021, there’s another commodity that’s been pulling entities to the DMV: its talent pool.

In the new year, it turns out multiple entities will be moving in to connect to talent in the region, bringing hundreds of openings in the cyber, software development and consulting spaces. Be it entry-level or old pros, tech companies are getting comfy in the region, expanding existing offices and opening new ones.

What does that mean for the DMV? Amidst a national hiring surge, talent is the commodity bringing in big names and out-of-state players.

Here’s a look at the latest companies with news that will lead to hiring:

Qualtrics expands

An experience management software company headquartered in Washington State and Utah, Qualtrics is making a big investment in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The company announced this month that it would be investing $15.9 million for an expansion in Fairfax, moving its current office space in Reston to Reston Metro Plaza, adding 85,000 square feet. With the expansion, it’ll also be adding 400 jobs in the area.

“Organizations everywhere are undergoing an experience transformation and Qualtrics has an incredible opportunity in front of us,” said Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin in a statement. “With its strong talent pool, Virginia is a perfect place for Qualtrics to grow.”

According to Qualtrics, the company will be working with the Virginia Talent Accelerator, a Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) program with the Virginia Community College System. Additional funding and support will be provided by Governor Ralph Northam and the Virginia General Assembly.

The move to expand in Virginia follows a foothold in the scene that Qualtrics made earlier this year when it acquired Reston analytics firm Clarabridge for $1.125 billion. The deal was expected to close this quarter, and Serafin said at the time that the acquisition would accelerate its growth and leadership.

According to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), Virginia competed with Pennsylvania and Ohio for the expansion and job creation. To land the deal, the FCEDA worked with entities including the VEDP and the county received a $1.4 million grant from Virginia’s Opportunity Fund as well as $2 million from the Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant to put towards the effort.

“Virginia offers access to the highest concentration of tech talent in the United States,” Northam said. “The Commonwealth’s diverse tech ecosystem is driven by our stable business climate, competitive operating costs, and a world-class workforce. We look forward to Qualtrics’ continued success in Fairfax County.”

Vivanti launches

With offices in New York and DC, enterprise technology consultancy company Vivanti is officially making its launch in the US.

Backed by Chairman Tony Nicol, the founder of Australian cloud consulting firm Servian, Vivanti specializes in cloud data technologies, artificial intelligence, DevOps and customer engagement. 

Company CEO Mike Walker, who is based in DC, told Technical.ly that with the launch, the company plans to make massive hiring moves towards being a 1,000-plus person firm. He was unable to specify how many hires will be made in the DC area, as the company is currently remote and new hires will have the choice to remain around the DC or New York hubs, but was excited about the region’s potential.

“From a personnel perspective, the Washington DC area is the government-specific equivalent of the Silicon Valley tech hub,” Walker said. “It’s a great place to recruit highly skilled technologists; particularly in cloud and data. There’s an expansive tech community to tap into, which will help Vivanti hire well and grow quickly.”

In DC, Walker said, Vivanti is looking to build a new home for cloud and data minds and will be partnering with a number of major cloud providers. To this end, he said, it will be looking for new hires with the ability to deliver consulting advice across a number of focus areas, instead of one type of provider.

“We’re looking to shift the culture and accountability model of technology consulting; particularly in the cloud and data space,” Walker said. “Our mission is to cultivate a customer-first, consultant-led approach. To do that, we’re looking for naturally passionate technologists who have an innate curiosity for learning new technologies and skills — from grokking software delivery stacks to picking-up new software development languages.”

Siemens cybersecurity apprenticeship

Energy conglomerate Siemens Energy, which hosts its US headquarters in DC, is launching a cybersecurity apprenticeship program.

Alongside other partners — which include ICS Village, Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho, MISI Academy, Capitol Technology University, SANS Institute and Idaho State University — Siemens announced the program with an MOU. The group will build and roll out an apprenticeship program featuring academic classes, training and job rotations at leading industry companies, including Siemens Energy.

“There is a serious shortage of cybersecurity talent in today’s marketplace across a number of industries, and by working in partnership with like-minded organizations we can make inroads into building a strong workforce for the years to come,” said Rich Voorberg, president of Siemens Energy North America, in a statement. “Critical infrastructure in the U.S. has digitized rapidly, and we need to move quickly to secure our future.”

The four-year program is expected to launch with its first cohort in fall 2022. DC’s Capital Technology and Baltimore’s MISI will lead the program in the Eastern US region.

A spokesperson for Siemens Energy told Technical.ly that though it plans to begin the program next year, it has yet to determine how many spaces will be open in the cohort.

“[The number is] not defined yet because we plan to add new employers starting in the new year,” the company wrote in an emailed statement to Technical.ly. “However, initial interest has been high and we have seen a surge in messages from interested companies since the announcement. We’re feeling positive about the growth potential.”