BUSINESS services firm Deloitte has said it is on course to meet a commitment for more than 330 new jobs three years ahead of schedule.
The company announced a major expansion last September which it said would see 338 jobs created at its Belfast Delivery Centre over five years.
But the business said it had already taken on 200 new employees in the past 12 months - and expects to have eclipsed 350 in another year.
The move, backed by £2.6 million in public funding, will see Deloitte's payroll balloon to 700 in Northern Ireland.
The company said recruitment had been at its Belfast Technology Studio covering its technology, digital and data analytics capability while its pensions audit, consulting and tax practices had also grown.
Deloitte said a significant number of the positions had been created through an academy programme run alongside the Department of Employment and Learning.
The five-year BrightStart training scheme helps school leavers to gain an honours degree through Ulster University as well as professional qualifications.
Deloitte NI senior partner Jackie Henry said: “We have been working hard to deliver on our job creation plans and have already made major inroads, with 60 new starts in September alone.
"We knew that Deloitte NI was ready to take on such a large expansion and that even in a competitive market Belfast had the skills and talent to help us meet those goals. Our plan to invest more than £30m in recruitment shows our determination to bring world-class services to our clients from Belfast.
“When this decision was made it was in the face of strong global competition and we have since been able to demonstrate that this was the right move for Belfast and for Deloitte right across the UK.
"Our staff have had access to great opportunities as a result of this expansion strategy and we look forward to the next stage of our recruitment process in the coming months.”
Head of Invest NI Alastair Hamilton said he was "delighted to hear that job creation progress of this level has been made in such a short time frame at Deloitte".
"It is testament to the quality of the Northern Ireland workforce and the confidence that Deloitte has that this internationally renowned company has decided to keep expanding its presence here."
