Herdwatch, a farm management software company based in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, has announced plans to double its workforce over the next three years.
They expect to create an additional 40 jobs during that period, with 20 of the new roles located in the company’s Tipperary headquarters.
Herdwatch, which was co-founded by FRS Network, a farmer-owned co-operative, is already the market-leading and fastest growing farm management software in Ireland and the UK, used on more than 15,000 farms.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said: “This is really great news. Herdwatch is creating 40 new jobs over the next three years, 20 of which will be based in Tipperary. The company is a fantastic example of an Irish owned and based company providing innovative solutions for the agriculture sector. I’m particularly pleased that all of these jobs will offer remote working opportunities.
“Today’s announcement is a strong vote of confidence in the Midwest region and further evidence of its attractiveness as a place to invest. I wish the team the very best of luck with this expansion and ambitious phase of growth.”
The company is also supported by Enterprise Ireland in its international expansion. Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy said: “At Enterprise Ireland, we welcome today’s announcement in Tipperary by Herdwatch, highlighting the potential for innovative firms to succeed and grow in the Mid-West region. Ireland is a leader in the agriculture and agri-tech sector and this investment shows clearly how Irish firms can create digital platforms to bring these capabilities to a global farming community. Congratulations to Herdwatch and we look forward to supporting you as you continue to innovate and grow internationally.”
The additional jobs will support the further expansion of Herdwatch as it seeks to reach new markets and also to broaden their current service. This will include measures to help farmers meet the climate change challenge, beginning with the newly released farm mapping functionality.
As part of its research and development programme, the company has released what they call “Farm Maps by Herdwatch”, a new tool in the existing Herdwatch app which allows farmers to easily map their farm for free, using satellite imagery. This tool is seen as a foundation stone for more advanced upcoming developments in the environmental sector, from precision soil health in partnership with FRS (Farm Relief Services) to fertiliser and carbon emissions as well as carbon sequestration management.
The new jobs will be created in the commercial and technology sectors, from customer support and sales roles to product specialists and software engineers — all with remote working opportunities. As of today, the company has open vacancies for inside sales representatives, customer success representatives, product owners, software and cloud automation (DevOps) engineers.
Herdwatch CEO and co-founder Fabien Peyaud said: “This announcement is a signal of the ongoing success of Herdwatch. We’re so proud to have been able to help thousands of farmers and create so many jobs over the past seven years, so I am thrilled to be growing the team supporting and building the next phase of Herdwatch. We are taking this step because we want Herdwatch to continue to expand — helping more farmers in Ireland and around the world but also offering even more benefits to our existing members.”
