Working in Canada
Sierra Wireless was named Company of the Year at the 2009 Technology Impact Awards (TIAs) hosted by the BC Technology Industry Association (BCTIA). The award formally recognized Sierra Wireless' phenomenal year that included developing the world's first data devices for the HSPA+ standard, further penetrating the M2M market with the acquisition of Wavecom S.A., increasing their BC-based employees to 250 and, for the first time in company history, surpassing half a billion dollars in annual revenues.
Sierra Wireless was also selected as one of British Columbia’s Top 50 Employers for 2009. This designation recognizes British Columbia employers that lead their industries in providing a workplace that attracts and retains workers. Criteria include innovative compensation, job-place perks, enlightened bosses, educational support, and flexible work-life arrangements.
Location and Lifestyle
Richmond, BC, Canada
Our head office is in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The Sierra Wireless head office is home to approximately 250 employees and is located about 10 minutes to the ocean, 20 minutes to downtown Vancouver and only 30 minutes to the mountains. Part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, Richmond is a young and ethnically diverse urban community of about two million that blends Asian, European and Canadian traditions to create its own singular West Coast style. People here think, eat, and shop globally, but they love living locally. For five years running, Greater Vancouver has been named one of the world's top three cities for quality of life. The region also has a thriving high-tech industry that is especially strong in the Internet, multimedia, and biotech sectors.
Links:
City of Richmond
Tourism Vancouver
Vancouver Scenes
Benefits
Sierra Wireless offers competitive salaries and the kind of high-quality benefits package you would expect from a well-managed, fast-growing technology company. Our benefits include:
Health and Life Insurance
Sierra Wireless offers comprehensive health and insurance benefits. Health benefits include medical, extended health, dental and vision coverage, while our insurance benefits offer life insurance and short and long-term disability coverages. Premiums are fully paid by Sierra Wireless with the exception of long term disability for Canadian employees.
Retirement Matching Program
With an attractive retirement matching program, Sierra Wireless supports and encourages all employees to plan for their future.
Training and Education
Sierra Wireless training and education allows employees to take an active role in shaping their career development in ways that benefit the employee and the company. We recognize that our ability to develop successful products and continued growth as an organization depends on the success of continual education and development of our human capital.
Career Development
Sierra Wireless recognizes that our success in developing products depends on our success in developing people - and in giving them opportunities to grow on the job. We support managers and employees in working together to identify training, education and internal career opportunities that benefit both Sierra Wireless and an individual's career.
Referral Program
The Sierra Wireless internal employee referral program rewards you with a generous cash award each time you bring in a new employee who can help make our team stronger.
Patent Award Program
The Patent Award program awards cash for the three stages of the patent process: disclosure, filing, and issuance. As well, a plaque is added to the Wall of Fame in our head office.
Community Investment
The Sierra Wireless community investment program provides opportunity for the company and employees to contribute to the community. Our focus areas for community investment are:
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Partnering with Employees – Sierra Wireless partners with employees who volunteer or contribute financially to organizations within their community. Our partnership can be matching financial donations, providing corporate support for fundraising or coordinating volunteer events in which other Sierra Wireless employees can participate.
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Education – Student work experiences are a vital part of Sierra Wireless' community investment program. We provide internships and co-op opportunities to students who are pursuing studies in engineering and general business.
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Community Resources – Sierra Wireless is a corporate sponsor of Science World in British Columbia, a non-profit community resource that promotes exploration and learning in arts, sciences, and technology.
Work Environment
Leading the way in creating breakthrough wireless data products is a constant challenge. Sierra Wireless attracts people who are innovators looking to challenge themselves. Here, you'll work in small teams creating real products for real-world wireless data applications. You and your team will have a good deal of freedom in making the decisions that make our products better - and get them to market quickly. The pace is fast, the energy is focused, but our people are friendly and the dress code is casual. We work hard, but we also take time to play and relax. At Sierra Wireless you can:
- Work out in the on-site fitness facility which has weights, treadmills and stair machines
- Play ping-pong, billiards and foosball
- Get to know your colleagues better, through corporate hosted events, including the company’s anniversary and Holiday parties
In addition, we have a strong commitment to ongoing communication and dialogue through our e-newsletter, Wavelength, our quarterly company-wide meetings and the Sierra Intranet.
Campus Center
We have several programs that enable students to combine their academic studies with working at Sierra Wireless.
New Grads
Recent graduates are an important part of the Sierra Wireless team. In our fast-paced, project-oriented environment, new grads get plenty of challenges and opportunities to grow their skill sets and develop a rewarding career in wireless technology.
Co-op / Intern Programs
Our Product Development Team has a successful track record of integrating co-op and intern students on a variety of our projects. Co-op or intern students typically join us for four or eight-month work terms. Many join us permanently once they complete their degree. We post our Computer Science and Engineering opportunities at local universities and we encourage students from these programs to apply through their campus representatives.
While our main focus is on co-ops and interns in the Product Development group, we often have opportunities in Marketing or other operational groups within the company.
Other Student Placement Programs
Sierra Wireless supports a broad range of student placement/work experience programs, such as the Shad Valley Internship Program.
Campus Initiatives
Sierra Wireless attends local Computer Science and Engineering faculty Career Fairs. It's a great way to meet members of our team and further explore the opportunities we offer.