Job websites have posted openings for positions in an Ernst & Young Financial Services Office Solutions Delivery Center in Jacksonville.
Indeed.com and hirepurpose.com are two of the sites that have posted jobs such as quality assurance associate analyst, technology associate analyst and associate analyst.
It was unclear whether the postings referred to jobs to be hired for the global accounting firm’s Jacksonville tax advisory services office in the Wells Fargo Center downtown or for a separate unit.
Associates in the Downtown office said they could not comment and would need to refer questions to a corporate office.
However, the postings describe a center similar to that of “Project Omega,” an unidentified public accounting firm that wants to create a new financial services operation in Jacksonville.
City Council approved incentives Tuesday night for up to $450,000 in Qualified Target Industry tax refunds for the company to create 450 IT consulting/financial services jobs by year-end 2019.
It did not announce the name of the company.
Ernst & Young spokesman John La Place said Thursday he is based in New York and is trying to find out information from regional public relations associates about the posted Jacksonville jobs. He said he would call when he had information.
City spokeswoman Tia Ford said Thursday morning in checking with the city Office of Economic Development, there is no information available regarding Project Omega at this time and there was no general knowledge of the job postings.
The JAX Chamber and JAXUSA Partnership said it could not comment. The partnership is the economic development arm of the JAX Chamber.
According to the development agreement with the city, the unidentified accounting firm would create jobs that pay an average $49,340 annually.
This year, the company would create 75 jobs, followed by 100 next year, 125 in 2018 and 150 in 2019.
The city’s documents say the state would provide incentives of $2.835 million, comprising $1.8 million in QTI refunds and a Florida Flex Training grant up to $1.035 million.
Together, the city and state would provide incentives of $3.285 million.
Asked about the status of the state’s incentives and whether Ernst & Young is Project Omega, Enterprise Florida Communications Director Stephen Lawson said Thursday if there were an active project, it and any information relating to it would be confidential under a state statute.
The public-private Enterprise Florida is the state’s principal economic development organization.
The city legislation and development agreement outline that the company would invest an estimated minimum of $5.95 million in IT, equipment, furniture, and real estate improvements.
No location was identified in the documents. If the company follows the track of other expanding financial service tenants, it would lease space for a first phase and expand as it adds jobs.
That indicates a potential first phase of at least 25,000 square feet for the first two years.
The unidentified company was called a public accounting firm in the city development agreement.
The agreement specifies the project proposes to locate a financial services operation to “serve as a client service delivery center.”
Project Omega, which is a targeted industry for Jacksonville because of its financial services jobs, told the city the incentives are a material factor in its decision to open in Jacksonville as opposed to another state.
Hiring also was addressed in the agreement.
It says the company and city agree it might be necessary for the firm to start recruiting, selecting and training prospective employees before the agreement is completed.
One of the postings was Feb. 9. Others weren’t dated, but indicated the posting was made at least 30 days before.
Jobs posted on indeed.com and hirepurpose.com describe Ernst & Young LLP’s Financial Services Office as “a uniquely industry-focused business unit” that provides a broad range of integrated services to financial institutions and other capital markets participants.
Those participants include retail, commercial and investment banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, insurance and other financial institutions.
Jobs posted refer to Financial Services Risk Management and IT Advisory Services.
Financial Services Risk Management focuses on regulatory, quantitative, technology and operations, including a Financial Crimes Compliance practice.
Information Technology Advisory Services provides strategic technology, technology enablement, information management, market, credit and operational risk, security, program advisory, and process and controls.
Florida “delivery centers” and expansion aren’t new to public accounting firms.
Deloitte opened its information-technology hub near Orlando in August 2014. Its 130,000-square-foot U.S. Delivery Center handles software development, database administration, analytics and other tech services.
The Orlando Sentinel reported Seminole County and Lake Mary approved an incentives package of $1.7 million for the company to create 1,000 jobs in three years with an average wage of more than $60,000 a year.
Deloitte Cconsulting said it expected to spend $20 million for its lease and renovations.
It hired 700 employees by August 2015, the Sentinel reported.
In 2013, PricewaterhouseCoopers opened a custom-designed 10-story office space in Tampa for its professional services employees, saying its Assurance and Tax Service Delivery Centers would remain at a Tampa Bay office park.
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