Hull e-commerce specialist to create 40 new jobs with launch of Automotive Centre of Excellence

Summit, the Hull-based ecommerce specialist, is creating 40 new jobs with the launch of a new Automotive Centre of Excellence.

The hub will be housed in a 1,500 sq ft location in Portobello House, Warwick, close to the main arterial routes, has good airport links and benefits from direct train services into London.

The launch is part of Summit’s strategy to expand its automotive market share, whilst expanding into new territories.

The company delivers digital solutions that allows OEMs and Dealers to adapt to the global demand for omnichannel retailing. As a result, Summit can count Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Groupe PSA, which manufactures Peugeot and Citroën, amongst its global automotive clients.

Summit, which currently employs more than 160 members of staff across its Yorkshire headquarters and offices in London and Prague, is looking to double its 10-strong automotive ecommerce team in 2018 and will create a further 30 positions over the coming months.

The recruitment drive will comprise a variety of digital roles across all levels including enterprise architects, senior business analysts, project managers and customer experience architects.

Launched in 2000, Summit provides consulting, ecommerce technology, trading and online marketing services and now turns over in excess of £47m per year.

Tony Patterson, director of Automotive at Summit, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of our new Summit home in Leamington Spa, which will become a centre of excellence for online and omnichannel global automotive retailing.

“This will allow us to support the ongoing digital projects with JLR and Groupe PSA and our other global automotive clients, as well as allowing us to grow our customer base in this sector.

“At Summit, we think of ourselves as ‘changemakers’ helping organisations to transform the way they do business and adapt to a digital omnichannel world.

“This is certainly the case in the automotive sector, and we are now looking for talented individuals who can combine a passion for digital with automotive knowhow to help automotive brands, including OEMs and dealers to reposition themselves and sell more profitably, at a time when consumers are buying less.”