IT Search’s David Shanahan examines Ireland’s growing technology space and the career routes open to qualified professionals.
According to David Shanahan, director at Irish recruitment agency IT Search – which is a member of the Vertical Markets Group – throughout 2025, many organisations better defined their priorities around the skills needed to move the business needle.
A number of tech career routes have emerged as particularly popular among Irish professionals, as the space continues to grow and evolve. And importantly, many have become more accessible as companies gave greater consideration to atypical educational and learning journeys.
“There are certainly opportunities for people who come through alternative routes into tech,” explained Shanahan. “Generally, employers in Ireland care more about what you can demonstrate than the route you took to learn it.
“In cybersecurity, cloud and software, certifications and real-world projects are enough to get in the door. The only areas where a lack of formal degree will still be a blocker tend to be in research-heavy AI roles or regulated sectors like medtech and finance.”
With that in mind, what are the most popular careers for tech experts right now?
Cybersecurity
Shanahan said research suggests there are more than 8,000 cybersecurity employees in Ireland across 535 companies, with 1,000 new roles to be filled annually in Ireland in order to keep pace with current demand. For those looking to become more qualified, certifications such as CISSP, CISA and CISM are becoming highly sought after.
“Employers want a mix of solid fundamentals and recognised certifications. Degrees in computer science help, but certs like CISSP, CISM or Security+ tend to carry more weight. Practical exposure to cloud security, SIEM tools and regulatory standards like ISO 27001 or NIS2 are what get candidates hired.”
He added that cybersecurity remains top of the list of growing careers and that it is no longer viewed solely as an IT issue, but rather a fundamental business issue. “The reality is that every business, regardless of size, is now a potential target and that has created sustained demand for people who can protect systems, data and reputations,” he said.
Artificial intelligence
“Generative AI could add as much as €148bn to Ireland’s GDP by 2038,” he said, noting it is reflective of Ireland’s strong position as an important European technological hub.
To stay skilled and attractive to employers, Shanahan explained, programming is key, particularly common languages like Python. Capabilities in PyTorch and TensorFlow are also useful, as more organisations address business problems with tools and AI solutions.
“We’re seeing real-world implementation across finance, healthcare and manufacturing. Businesses now want people who can turn AI theory into commercial outcomes, which is driving demand for AI engineers and MLOps talent.”
Cloud
In the cloud space Shanahan noted “hands-on experience counts as much as formal education”. Certifications in AWS, Azure and GCP are often valuable and the most in-demand professional is the one who can design secure, efficient systems using technologies such as Kubernetes, Terraform and CI/CD pipelines. Cost governance and security awareness are now also seen as core parts of the role.
He said: “Cloud adoption has evolved from migration to optimisation which means getting the most out of what’s already in place, with a focus on cost control and security. That’s why we’ve seen a surge in DevSecOps and platform engineering talent demands.”
Software and web development
As “the backbone of tech hiring in Ireland”, Shanahan said software and web development is the broadest career path, adding there is strong demand for candidates who understand automation, APIs and how to build scalable, secure systems.
Professionals looking for work in this space should prioritise learning Java, as it “dominates large enterprise work”.
“JavaScript and Python power most of the modern start-up scene,” he added. “Employers [also] want engineers who can design scalable systems, write clean code and deliver tested, reliable products. Showing how your work impacted business outcomes is what stands out.”
AI Engineering
Because AI engineers are largely responsible for creating the architecture that enables AI models to operate, professionals in this space need a hybrid skillset that includes software development, data science, data engineering and infrastructure management.
“AI adoption continues to expand across industries such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and retail, [so] candidates who can combine AI expertise with specific industry knowledge will be in particularly high demand,” said Shanahan.
“Think of this as the middle ground between software and data science. You need the ability to build and deploy models. Strong Python, microservices experience, and knowledge of MLOps tooling are all essential.”
MLOps Engineer
MLOps engineers maintain the infrastructure that supports machine learning (ML) models and helps ensure efficient integration into production environments. Qualified professionals should be able to collaborate with ML engineers and data scientists, while maintaining their coding skills.
“This role is about bringing order to the AI life cycle,” said Shanahan. “Again, Python is key with CI/CD for ML, experience with data versioning and model monitoring is standard. Employers want people who can bridge data science and production, ensuring reliability, traceability and compliance.”
DevSecOps
A relatively new role created to address issues of compliance in the development cycle, experts in DevSecOps should have a knowledge of regulatory requirements such as GDPR, ISO 27001 and SOX, among others.
Shanahan explained it is a hybrid function requiring a combination of skills in software development, IT operations and cybersecurity.
Looking to the future, he said, Ireland’s tech market is in good shape and though growth may slow, the quality and strategic importance of many roles in this space is increasing. “It’s a great time for technically curious people to deepen their skills and carve out a niche.”
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