Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
Amazon announced its workforce expansion in Santa Barbara with plans to create an additional 150 jobs in the technical field.
The company has opened a new 48,000 square foot office for Alexa tech teams in downtown Santa Barbara at 1001 State Street, the former home of Saks 5th Ave. The new office includes energy-efficient appliances and sensors to reduce energy and water consumption, enhanced bike storage and lockers to encourage alternate modes of commuting and open spaces to enhance collaboration and innovation between teams.
“We have been able to hire great talent in Santa Barbara and look forward to doubling our workforce here,” said Kevin Davis, Site Lead of Amazon’s Santa Barbara office. “Santa Barbara is an incredibly welcoming city with a high quality of life and innovative culture – and we’re excited to create more jobs, and continue to invest locally in the community.”
The tech teams based in Santa Barbara are working on Alexa, a virtual assistant using artificial intelligence (AI) connected to Amazon products. The jobs revolve around developing new ways to power Alexa’s factual knowledge in devices such as Amazon Echo and Fire TV. The Santa Barbara-based teams work with scientists in Amazon’s Development Center in Cambridge, England in this effort.
“We welcome a new Amazon office in downtown Santa Barbara, adding to the mix of innovative, technology companies in our region. We encourage their employees to participate in community events and enjoy the amenities of local restaurants, shopping, and arts and culture,” said Cathy Murillo, Mayor of Santa Barbara.
Amazon currently has dozens of open roles located in Santa Barbara, including Software and Data Engineers, Knowledge Engineers, Data Scientists, Machine Learning Associates, Product Managers, and more. The full list of open jobs is available here.
Amazon states it has created more than 45,000 full-time jobs in California since 2010 and invested over $34.5 billion.
The real Amazon story is at 30 S La Patera Lane.
The headline should say, Amazon to create 150 jobs for non-locals. I’m so tired of tech companies squeezing themselves in here bringing most of their employees from other cities and states. How does that help our housing and water crisis?
Killing thousands of retail jobs then bringing a few hundred technical jobs isn’t “creating jobs.” Amazon’s business model relies on a collapsing and cheap postal service and employees who are worked to the bone. Warehouse employees are also prevented from unionizing and are much more likely to be seriously injured compared to similar jobs. Oh and by the way, ask Alexa if it shares data with law enforcement agencies or outside companies. Hint: it’s never a yes or no answer.
Chillin, I think you make a great point. Amazon only became what it is today through unfair and anti-competitive business practices and undue political influence / corruption. I would never trust a company like amazon with a microphone inside my house or a camera at my door. Amazon should be investigated under 15 USC Chapter 1 and broken up.
Amazon forces no one to work for them nor buy from them. Free market rules. They are the only game in town. Play another game.
Net zero impact – those who keep saying they can’t afford to live here will leave, and Amazon will replace them with people who can. Water use will stay the same. Everyone comes out ahead. Same weather and ocean in Oxnard, which is a lot cheaper – housing “crisis” solved. Or learn to code and make yourself valuable to Amazon.
Welcome to Santa Barbara, Amazon! Here’s hoping you bring another 150 jobs, and another 150, and onward.
So many grumpy comments, sigh. Glad there are local jobs for CompSci grads – sure beats jobs cleaning hotel rooms or serving beer in the Funk Zone.
People just like to whine and complain. Reading the comments section of Edhat is particularly amusing.
Yay..!? Keep being lazy and cheap everyone. China appreciates it.
“Transparent California” is just one of the many names used by the tax-exempt “free-market think tank” Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI). NPRI refuses to divulge its own funding sources, stating, “NPRI respects the privacy of our donors, which includes the amount of a donor’s gift”.
NPRI’s primary funding source, as determined by The Conservative Transparency Project, is Donors Capital Fund, a dark-money source of funding for conservative groups. Its donors also include The Cato Institute, co-founded by the Koch brothers, and organizations affiliated with the climate change denial movement.
NPRI spends 75% of its revenue on six-figure salaries and benefits. Its goal is to undermine support for employee unions nationwide, thereby decreasing salaries and increasing corporate profits.
Why are people so against Amazon opening an office downtown? Do you want another hotel with low paying jobs that don’t pay enough to survive in SB? Or high paying tech jobs like from Amazon? Or would you rather that space remain closed indefinitely? The current shopping trends say that brick and mortar stores all over are struggling and this isn’t just because of Amazon.
This is a giant step forward for downtown Santa Barbara!
Because they are envious and most importantly, jealous. These are people who chose to NOT pursue an education or a career that would have given them the skills necessary to make a good living. And since they refuse to help themselves or move to a place more appropriate for their income and skill level , they whine and complain and worse, act out against those that did…
You know nothing of what you type Chip… but hold up that fist and yell at that cloud, its working!
I suppose that these jobs pay enough for these workers to actually live in SB? Thereby intensifying the competition for living spaces for the rest of us? Luckily, I own mine so this just makes it more valuable. I wonder what an Amazonian would pay per month for a 2 bdr 1 ba on the upper westside?
PITMIX, I see your point, but as I was perusing the job openings at Amazon in SB recently, I saw one that I was qualified for (basically what I do now). Amazon probably pays better than my company, and hey, shorter commute I could walk or bike. While I’m not looking to switch, we aren’t necessarily going to get all new people into SB competing for housing, some jobs will go to locals. If you find out what you can rent your 2BR 1BA upper westside home for though, let me know. We’re prob neighbors.
Pitmix: Amazon employees will pay market rate for your housing offer. Others demand you subsidize them at your own expense. For reasons unknown.
I know this is a non-issue for most people chasing the buck, but how many people are really suited to be software engineers and computer scientists? And how many out of that pool do we really need for our workforce? I have a feeling we need a bunch more Chik-Fil-A employees than Amazon coders. People are always suggesting that education is the key, but really there is a limited number of high-level positions available at any given time.
SB is a socialist county. The government, whether City, County, State, Federal are providing the majority of jobs in this county. Its actually very frighting to realize how few people who live in SB County are a net contributor to the general tax pool. And before you get yourself all worked up, think about the fact that if someone is a government employee or an employee of an ancillary business that supports and or relies upon the government, they’re paid from taxes collected from others who create the wealth. That makes these people net drains on our tax base. We should be BEGGING for more of these high skilled, high paying jobs and companies in Santa Barbara. Our local leaders should be rolling out the red carpet for these instead of more tourist, service, low skilled jobs. We desperately needs net contributors to the tax base or we will go broke.
Thank you Amazon!
SBOBSERVER: think also how many local government employees are now full members of the top 10% income earners, getting paid over $250,000 a year. Transparent California provides pages and pages listing our tax payer funded, local and newly created “wealth class”. Odd progressives complain about growing income disparity when in fact they are the ones who created this government employee top 10% wealth class, right under our noses. The same group that sends out the message every year “we need more money”.
Mac, I know don’t like the website creators, but until you can prove they are posting false information, then they are a valid source of info. The truth is that many public employees are doing very well and have incredible pension, medical benefit, and vacation plans, while the citizens paying taxes for this are not doing nearly as well. It just seems unfair, and unequal.