Zoom has announced it will open R&D facilities in the Phoenix, Arizona and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania areas.
While the company has yet to finalize precise locations for the facilities, Zoom plans to find space in the proximity of Arizona State University and Carnegie Mellon University, as both are known for their exceptional engineering programs.
Once established, each R&D center will help bolster Zoom’s existing R&D efforts and support Zoom’s engineering leadership which is currently based at the company’s San Jose, California headquarters.
In its announcement, Zoom shared its plans to kickstart recruitment efforts immediately and said it will be on the prowl for software engineering talent in the greater Phoenix and Pittsburgh areas. Those selected for open positions will work from home for the foreseeable future.
Zoom doesn’t anticipate its offices being built until fall 2020 and is committed to allowing employees to work remotely until coronavirus-related isolations and stay-at-home orders have abated.
“Both Phoenix and Pittsburgh have incredibly well-educated, skilled, and diverse talent pools that are well-positioned to help support Zoom’s ongoing growth and continued success,” said Eric S. Yuan, CEO of Zoom.
“We plan to hire up to 500 software engineers between these two cities in the next few years, drawing largely on recent graduates of the many local universities. We look forward to expanding our team and seeing what we accomplish together as we continue to build our world-leading video communications platform with best-in-class reliability, scalability, privacy, and security.”
Arizona State University and Carnegie Mellon University are known for their top-notch engineering programs, so it’s no surprise Zoom would open R&D facilities in the regions.
The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University ranks No. 41 in US News & World Report’s list of top engineering schools. Meanwhile, Arizona State University as a whole has been named the most innovative school in the US for five years running.
The Carnegie Institute of Technology at Carnegie Mellon University, on the other hand, is No. 4 on US News & World Report’s best engineering schools list. The university has also received a number of top-notch rankings from prestigious publications, including The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian.
Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University, said of the announcement: “With 4,500 engineering graduates per year and a nationally competitive faculty that have been honored with the highest awards in their fields, we are making great strides in creating a top-tier, concentrated environment of technology and talent in greater Phoenix to support the workforce and research and development needs of companies like Zoom.”
Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University, added: “With our visionary faculty and exceptionally talented students, Carnegie Mellon is catalyzing revolutionary work to accelerate digital transformation across markets and industries, and we look forward to partnering with Zoom to enhance their remarkable momentum in defining the future of virtual interactions.”
Zoom is currently working with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance to ensure that expansion into each city is a resounding success.
If you’re interested in applying for employment at these R&D facilities? Head to the Zoom.us/careers to get the inside scoop on available roles at the company.
