Why professionals enjoy working at tech consultancy Opencast

Now in its 10th year, tech consultancy Opencast employs over 250 people UK-wide – and this year it plans to almost double its people numbers on the back of major new client work especially with government departments. Four employees of the team outline why Opencast stands out as a top employer.

Opencast specialises in developing end-to-end enterprise solutions for clients in the government, health, social care, financial services, and energy sectors. The technology consulting firm provides services in digital architecture, user-centred design, software, digital and technical delivery, DevOps, and cloud & platform engineering.

As part of its ambitious growth strategy, Opencast this spring opened new hubs in London and Leeds, and last month opened a third hub in Edinburgh, alongside a new office HQ in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The company is investing heavily in supporting and nurturing the talents of its people, while attracting new remote talent through its people-first approach and culture.

Emily Allinson, Opencast’s head of user-centred design, said: “With our hybrid working approach, it’s up to the consultant and their team and projects to work out what’s best. So, for some people, that’s coming into the office every single day, working remotely or on client sites embedded within their teams.”

Preconceptions of consultancies are that staff are continually juggling work, but at Opencast, things are different, added Emily. “In the early days of my career I was told that if I liked my fingers in many pies, I’d love consultancy work… but that wasn’t the case!”

“I just wanted to be really good at something and do it really well – advise, support and consult my clients. And that’s what makes working at Opencast so unique.”

Blessing Oziegbe, a business analyst who works remotely in London, commented: “When I was told about what Opencast was in terms of its career path, I had to be a part of it. I knew it was going to be a challenge for me, but there was a team of professionals on hand to work collaboratively and help me grow.

“Having been part of the team at Opencast for a while now, I’ve been given the opportunity to have a real balance of work and family life, juggling two children and working full time. That is a very rare find in this industry.”

Senior IT consultant Pete Smith said: “There is always room for Opencast people to display their skills. The culture within the business encourages members to build, train and grow, with Opencast investing time into its staff to bring out the best quality of work.

Agile technical lead Juan Rodriguez agreed: “Four years ago Opencast welcomed me back with open arms after a job offer, which I initially thought was a great opportunity but didn’t align with my expectations.

“The team were incredibly supportive and acknowledged the importance of my career. I felt at complete ease having that open and honest conversation, and I’m so glad I stuck around.”