Jama Software will lay off a dozen, says business solid

Portland-based Jama Software announced a dozen layoffs Wednesday but said the cutbacks are unrelated to the coronavirus outbreak that has clobbered the state and national economy.

Instead, Jama said the cuts reflect an annual evaluation of the company’s direction that takes place before it begins its fiscal year begins in May. The company said it is hiring for other roles.

“We are fortunate that our business performance remains solid, even during these challenging times,” Jama said in a written statement. Jama had a similar round of layoffs this time last year, too.

Jama employs about 200, most of them at its downtown Portland headquarters, so Wednesday’s cuts represent about 5 percent of its workforce.

Engineers and product designers use Jama’s software to map out and track the design process, coordinating work across different teams and tracking that the actual design meets specifications.

Jama has been through a rapid succession of changes since its sale to New York private equity firm Insight Venture Partners two years ago. The company has replaced several top executives, most recently CEO Scott Roth, who left the company in January.