General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a business unit of General Dynamics, announced the opening of its new office at The Beach at the University of New Orleans. A ribbon-cutting event was held Thursday, June 23 to celebrate the opening.

The facility will initially support 50 new jobs with additional positions expected as operations expand in the region. GDIT will also use the new space to collaborate with university partners and develop cuttingedge IT solutions for the U.S. Navy. Currently, GDIT is partnering with the U.S. Navy on the Navy Enterprise Service Desk, a four-year, $136 million indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to modernize and consolidate existing IT help desks. The program, which is co-located in New Orleans and Bossier City, Louisiana, leverages the latest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics, and natural language processing to ensure 24x7x365 continuous operations for thousands of Navy personnel globally.

“New Orleans has served as the strategic hub for the naval community for more than 50 years,” said Brian Sheridan, GDIT’s senior vice president for defense. “We see a great opportunity to continue our support for the Navy’s mission and grow our footprint and impact in the region. Our investment in the community will also strengthen our partnership with the University of New Orleans to drive innovation.”

GDIT is committed to educating, training and developing the New Orleans technology workforce. The company has formed partnerships with local companies, small businesses and academic institutions, including the University of New Orleans, to cultivate the IT innovators of tomorrow and build a talent pipeline through internship opportunities and mentorship programs.

“GDIT has been a leading innovator in technology and IT for many years, and we are excited about their regional expansion to The Beach at UNO,” said UNO President John Nicklow. “UNO is committed to supporting GDIT with a robust workforce pipeline of our talented students to staff the company’s current expansion, as well as its future growth.”

The new office, GDIT’s fifth location in Louisiana, allows the company to deepen its roots in the state. With an existing flagship location in Bossier City, Louisiana, the company is supporting some of the nation’s most critical mission needs in cloud, cyber, artificial intelligence, application development and service desk operations.