'Pulling out all the stops to make Christmas special for our customers': Royal Mail to hire 20,000 temporary workers, including 400 in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, the new roles will primarily involve sorting parcels and letters at local mail centres, with positions running from late October through to early January 2026
Royal Mail is set to recruit 400 temporary workers in Northern Ireland as part of a major UK-wide hiring drive to meet demand during the busy Christmas season.
The company is taking on 20,000 seasonal staff across the country to help process and deliver the huge volume of parcels and letters expected during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the festive period.
In Northern Ireland, the new roles will primarily involve sorting parcels and letters at local mail centres, with positions running from late October through to early January 2026.
The announcement comes as Royal Mail ramps up preparations for what is traditionally its busiest time of the year. The company has been planning for months to manage the surge in online shopping and festive mail, and is increasing staffing levels to ensure it can meet delivery targets across the UK.
Interim chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson said: “As we do every year, we will be pulling out all the stops to make Christmas special for our customers. It’s the busiest time for us, and we work tirelessly behind the scenes—planning months in advance—to ensure everything runs smoothly.
"From delivering festive parcels to supporting online shopping, we’re investing heavily in extra resources, including thousands of seasonal team members, to help make sure every delivery arrives on time and with care.”
The roles offer competitive pay and flexible shifts, with no previous experience required. Royal Mail is encouraging people across Northern Ireland who are looking to earn extra income over the holidays to apply. Many of the temporary roles also come with the opportunity for longer-term work.
In addition to boosting its workforce, Royal Mail is expanding its fleet with thousands of extra vans and hiring over a thousand road haulage contractors to transport festive mail across the UK. Parcelforce Worldwide, a Royal Mail subsidiary, is also hiring additional drivers and indoor workers to support deliveries.
Royal Mail continues to invest in its parcel infrastructure, with nearly 24,000 collection and delivery points nationwide, including post offices, parcel lockers, and customer service centres. It is also expanding its network of postboxes designed to handle small parcels, offering customers even more convenience during the holiday season.
There are 12,000 mail centre sorting roles available in England, 2,000 in Scotland, 600 in Wales and 400 in Northern Ireland.
Applications for seasonal roles can be made through Royal Mail’s dedicated website at careers.royalmailgroup.com/gb/en/seasonal-roles, or by emailing [email protected].