Amazon to hire 400 in downtown Chicago

Amazon said Monday it plans to double the workforce at its Chicago Tech Hub, adding 400 jobs in areas such as cloud computing, advertising and business development.

The Chicago office at 227 W. Monroe is one of 18 tech hubs Amazon has in North America.

The company also said it plans a career day Tuesday in Chicago. Job seekers can register for the event online. It will run from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Vertiport Chicago, an event space and helicopter landing facility at 1339 S. Wood St.

“We’re excited to create more opportunity in Chicago — a city with terrific talent and a culture of innovation,” said Geoff Nyheim, director central US AWS Sales. “We look forward to doubling our teams in the Windy City, contributing to its diverse economy, and hiring local talent to fill exciting roles across Amazon.”

Amazon also said its Chicago Tech Hub will add 70,000 square feet. A company spokesman said the expansion probably will occur over the next three years.

“Chicago is a global hub with an unmatched workforce — the ideal incubator for Amazon to attract the talent needed to fuel its continued growth,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “Today’s announcement, along with tomorrow’s Career Day, represents Amazon’s commitment to Chicago and the diverse and innovative talent found here.”

Chicago failed in its bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, a prize that ultimately went to Northern Virginia.

Counting its warehouses and retail sites, Amazon said it has created more than 11,000 full-time jobs in Illinois and invested $4.4 billion in the state since 2010, including employee pay.