Pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb has settled on a location for a major facility in Tampa.



The company announced Wednesday it has selected office space in the Mainsail office park on Eisenhower Boulevard near Tampa International Airport for its new North America Capability Center.



B-MS announced plans to bring 579 highly skilled positions to the Bay area starting in 2014. The jobs will pay an average of $65,000 a year.



About 250 workers in information technology, marketing services, business and finance services, and other functions supporting the company’s biopharmaceutical business in the United States will initially occupy the center when it opens in January.



The other positions will come at a later date.



"We designed our facility with an eye toward building a dynamic culture...and help us maintain our position as a global biopharma leader," said Gareth Morgan, senior vice president, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "At our Tampa facility, we will build a culture of innovation and continuous improvement from the ground up.



"Our Tampa workers will be challenged to identify and implement new ideas and approaches that will help our company compete in an increasingly complex and competitive industry."