Robert Walters Half Yearly Market Update 2013 – Commerce

HALF YEARLY MARKET UPDATE 2013
COMMERCE
SINGAPORE
WELCOME
Welcome to Robert Walters’ 2013 market update, designed to provide you with an insight into the very latest hiring and salary
trends across the commerce sectors. Our clients often draw on our extensive industry involvement and market knowledge to gain
current information on salary levels, skills profiling and varying recruitment practices.
Singapore’s strategic location in Southeast Asia continued to generate strong interest from multinational organisations which
regarded the country as an ideal business hub. This led to an increased number of regional offices being established here, creating
a demand for shared services functions such as accounting, finance and human resources.
Traditionally strong sectors such as FMCG, pharmaceutical, oil & gas as well as technical healthcare maintained healthy levels of
growth. This generated career opportunities particularly for professionals in sales, marketing and IT. Quality contracting talent also
became a viable option for companies as they looked to maintain a flexible workforce. Such candidates were a swift solution to
bridge workforce talent gaps in times of maternity cover, permanent headcount freeze or a limited talent pool.
In addition, we are proud to be celebrating our 15th year of specialist recruitment in the Singapore market. We hope you will find
this update useful and please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss these market trends as well as any other recruitments needs
in greater detail.
Toby Fowlston
Managing Director
T: (65) 6228 0227
E: toby.fowlston@robertwalters.com.sg
ROLES
ROLES
PERMANENT
SALARY PER
ANNUM $SGD
CONTRACT
SALARY PER
MONTH $SGD
ACCOUNTING &
FINANCE
Recruitment demand remained fairly consistent throughout the
first six months of 2013 across multinationals and local SMEs.
Most activities were due to replacement hiring as opposed to new
headcount or expansion. An increase in global companies setting
up their regional hubs in Singapore also drove the demand for
accounting and finance professionals.
We also observed strong hiring activity from large conglomerates in
sectors which showed the highest levels of expansion – notably in
FMCG, retail, oil & gas and professional services. This fuelled the
demand for mid-level finance professionals such as analysts and
financial control specialists. Newly-qualified accounting and finance
talent were also sought-after to perform a variety of functions such
as Accounts Payable Accounting and Reporting System (APARS)
and transactional accounting.
Chief Financial Officer
Finance Director - Large Organisation
Financial Controller - Large Organisation
Finance Director - Small/Medium Organisation
Treasury Manager
Shared Services Finance Manager
Financial Planning & Analysis (6+ yrs’ exp)
Tax Accountant - Senior (6+ yrs’ exp)
Finance Manager (0 - 3 yrs’ exp)
Business Analyst (3 - 5 yrs’ exp)
Accounts Payable/Receivable Manager (5+ yrs’ exp)
Accountant (3 - 5yrs’ exp)
$300 - 500k+
$250 - 320k
$200 - 250k
$200 - 250k
$120 - 200k
$120 - 180k
$120 - 180k
$90 - 120k
$65 - 100k
$65 - 100k
$60 - 110k
$50 - 75k
$20k+
$18k+
$13 - 19k+
$12 - 18k+
$10k+
$10k+
$9 - 16k+
$7 - 9k+
$5 - 8k+
$5 - 8k+
$5 - 9k
$4 - 7k+
There was also notable demand for senior financial control
professionals with about eight years’ qualified experience in
business partnering as well as regional financial control and
managerial functions. Such professionals were highly valued
for their accounting expertise across Southeast Asian markets,
particularly as Singapore was being earmarked as the regional hub
for most multinationals.
We expect to see similar recruitment trends for the second half of
2013, and job seekers can potentially secure an average 10 - 15%
salary increment.

CONTRACT
Contract hiring in this space only picked up after the Chinese New
Year holidays towards the end of March. Newly-qualified accountants
were in demand to assist with the additional workload as many
organisations started their annual auditing process. These contractors
were required to have a minimum of two years’ solid work experience
in another multinational environment and possess SAP proficiency.
Companies also sought candidates with strong communication skills
whom they can develop for future career progression, by offering
them more client management roles and larger projects.
A majority of these contract hires were seen in the pharmaceutical,
FMCG and oil & gas industries. The commodities sector also saw
rapid growth which generated trade-related roles and business core
finance functions.
LEGAL
ROLES
Many organisations needed these professionals for interim periods as
the tasks were largely project-based. In addition, obtaining approval
for permanent headcount remained a key challenge, hence longerterm
contract hires were offered as a solution to assist and support
existing resources.
We also saw an increase in compliance-related roles within the
commerce sector, which was an interesting trend as such roles were
typically more in demand within the banking and financial services
industry. The Singapore government also imposed more regulations
on businesses, leading to contracting opportunities in the areas of
compliance and internal audit.
PERMANENT SALARY PER ANNUM $SGD
ENGINEERING
Recruitment activity in the first quarter performed beyond expectations
and saw a significant increase as compared to the same period in
2012. This was a result of higher headcount levels in companies as
well as the general shift in strategy to secure top talent earlier in 2013.
Hiring activity was particularly strong in the industrial and
pharmaceutical sectors as both local and international firms continued
their expansion plans. Many organisations, particularly those in the
pharmaceutical industry expanded their operations in Asia using
Singapore as an entry point. As a result, we saw a rising number
of multinational firms relocating specific functions to Singapore
from overseas. In contrast, the heavy machinery, Health, Safety and
Environment (HSE), operational excellence and capital equipment
sectors were relatively less buoyant as compared to 2012.
ROLES
Project
Research & Development
EHS
Process
Service
Quality Assurance
Production/Manufacturing
PERMANENT SALARY
PER ANNUM $SGD
5 - 10 YRS’ EXP 10+ YRS’ EXP
$95 - 130k
$80 - 140k
$85 - 125k
$80 - 100k
$70 - 100k
$65 - 105k
$60 - 95k
$135 - 205k
$130 - 215k
$125 -225k
$100 - 150k
$100 - 140k
$105 - 150k
$95 - 135k
Employers actively sought quality-related professionals such as those
skilled in qualitative assurance, supplier quality and project quality.
As a result of companies moving certain functions into Singapore,
candidates with programme and project management skills were also
keenly sought-after. Research and development hires, particularly
those in the software engineering space, remained in high demand.
Salaries remained constant and candidates moving jobs expected a
pay increase of about 20%. This was due to the increased difficulty
in hiring overseas talent, leading to longer recruitment processes and
a stronger demand for qualified local talent. Competent engineering
candidates were highly sought-after, which resulted in a candidatedriven
market and raised salary expectations.
Moving into the second half of 2013, we anticipate similar recruitment
and salary trends in the engineering space.
ANALYST/ASSOCIATE MANAGER/AVP VP/DIRECTOR
Head of Legal
$200 - 350k+
TMT
$60 - 130k
$100 - 180k
$160 - 300k+
Pharmaceutical/Chemical
Commodities
Manufacturing/Engineering
$60 - 130k
$60 - 150k
$60 - 110k
$80 - 160k
$120 - 220k
$100 - 180k
$120 - 250k+
$180 - 400k+
$150 - 250k+
HUMAN RESOURCES
FMCG
$60 - 110k
$90 - 150k
$120 - 200k+
Contracts Manager
$60 - 120k
$70 - 170k
$140 - 200k+
Company Secretary
Private Practice
$40 - 70k
$70 - 130k
$60 - 100k
$120 - 250k
$80k+
$180 - 370k+
ROLES
PERMANENT SALARY PER ANNUM $SGD
3 - 6 YRS’ EXP 6 - 12 YRS’ EXP 12+ YRS’ EXP
In the first six months of 2013, the legal and compliance functions
saw steady hiring. Organisations continued hiring in-house lawyers,
contracts managers, paralegals and corporate secretaries to boost
their legal teams and reduce external counsel costs.
There was also a steady demand for contract managers within
the oil & gas, commodity trading, IT and telecommunications
industries to deal with the increasing transaction volume in Asia.
These professionals were hired for both replacement and newlycreated
positions.
Some US and European companies appointed a number of senior
legal counsels for individual contributor roles back in 2012. In the
first half of 2013, paralegals with legal qualifications and junior
legal counsels with about five years’ experience were actively
recruited to assist these heads of legal. In particular, IT and FMCG
companies sought paralegals to support their busy legal teams.
Hiring within compliance rose as multinationals looked to tackle
a variety of new regulations in their respective industries. New
headcount was allocated to compliance teams, particularly in the
FMCG space. Across various sectors, corporate and commercial
lawyers with about three to six years’ experience were highly
sought-after, in particular Singapore bar-qualified professionals.
Corporate secretarial roles were also in demand. However, such
positions often required Mandarin language abilities, which further
limited the candidate talent pool.
An additional four international private practice firms were awarded
QFLP licenses in February, allowing them to practice Singapore
commercial law and bringing the total number of licensed foreign
firms to 10. Starting salaries in foreign firms are typically higher
than Singapore-based firms, and in response to this we saw the
Big Four and some boutique local law firms increase their starting
pay by as much as 12 - 25%. This pay increase, whilst immediately
benefitting newly-qualified Singapore lawyers, will likely impact the
ability of multinationals to attract local law professionals. Salaries
for these roles tend to be less competitive compared to those
offered by private practice firms.
Due to the finite number of legal candidates equipped with the
required experience and educational qualifications, staff retention
will continue to be a key challenge in the remaining half of 2013.
Hence, salary levels are likely to rise across the board. Lawyers are
expected to consider a combination of factors when moving jobs,
such as improved work exposure or the opportunity to enter a new
industry. We expect private practice candidates seeking improved
work-life balance or a wider spectrum of commercial experience
to continue exploring opportunities to move into in-house roles.
HR Generalist/Business Partner
Compensation & Benefits Specialist
Organisational Development Specialist
Learning & Development Specialist
Recruitment Specialist
Payroll Specialist
Hiring levels of HR professionals remained consistent across the
commerce industries, due to companies expanding their operations
into emerging Southeast Asian countries. This drove a strong demand
for HR professionals with competent regional experience to establish
and strengthen HR functions in the Southeast Asian offices.
Senior candidates with regional exposure and start-up experience
such as heads of HR or HR directors were in high demand. These
roles were fairly strategic and required collaboration with top
management to help increase business revenue. These candidates
were also expected to develop and execute HR polices at the
ground level. We saw the most demand for HR professionals in the
professional services, consumer and aerospace industries.
The uncertain European market led to headquarters implementing
global initiatives with an emphasis on emerging Asian markets.
$60 - 110k
$60 - 120k
$60 - 100k
$55 - 90k
$50 - 100k
$40 - 60k
$110 - 180k
$120 - 200k
$100 - 250k
$90 - 165k
$100 - 150k
$60 - 100k
$180 - 400k+
$180 - 350k+
$220 - 350k+
$165 - 250k+
$120 - 250k+
$80 - 150k+
To spearhead these projects in Asia, companies sought senior HR
candidates who possessed at least 12 – 15 years’ experience with
diverse exposure to different industries.
Due to the increased demand for quality talent in the emerging
markets, job movers were offered a 12 – 20% salary increment.
Senior-level professionals looking to switch jobs were offered pay
increases averaging 15%. However, monetary benefits were not top
priority for candidates, as they also considered other factors such as
the total remuneration package, career progression opportunities and
the challenges expected ahead.
For the next half of 2013, we are likely to see similar hiring trends as
more multinationals focus their business efforts on Asia. Additionally,
due to the shortage of Asian HR talent with regional experience,
companies are likely to nurture mid-level employees and groom them
for HR management positions.

CONTRACT
Hiring within the HR contracting space saw a relative slowdown in the
beginning of 2013. Activity picked up in the beginning of quarter two
with a high demand for contract payroll specialists across commerce
industries. This was due to a number of permanent functions being
moved out of Singapore, the deployment of additional manpower to
support existing teams and maternity cover requirements.
HR professionals with experience in payroll as well as learning and
development were in high demand, particularly within the IT&T,
pharmaceutical and professional services sectors.
Salaries remained consistent to those in 2012. Similar hiring trends are
likely to be seen in the second half of the year as companies continue
to face the challenge of securing permanent headcount approval.
ROLES
PERMANENT SALARY PER ANNUM $US
6 - 10 YRS’ EXP 11 - 15 YRS’ EXP 16 - 25+ YRS’ EXP
We saw significant demand particularly from the global IT end-user
companies, with some vacancies in the IT vendor space. These
organisations actively sought technically-skilled professionals
with Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or Citrix Certified
Integration Architect (CCIA) certifications, system engineers with level
III qualifications and experienced project managers.
Due to tighter headcount budgets as well as IT consulting deals
being signed regionally instead of locally, we saw a slight decrease in
senior-level contract recruitment. Companies instead chose to step
up their recruitment efforts in Malaysia due to the lower cost of senior
talent there. However, we anticipate an increase in hiring in the third
quarter as projects advance. Contract hiring is likely to be open
across all levels of seniority.
We also foresee a few business critical hires in Singapore, which is
likely to happen towards the end of 2013. Employers are likely to turn
to contract professionals to fill roles that they are unable to secure
permanent headcount budgets for. Salaries are likely to remain
constant, with a 15 - 20% increment for new placements.
OIL & GAS UPSTREAM
Reservoir Engineers
Petrophysicists
Geologists
Geophysicists
$84 - 112k+
$60 - 99.7k
$60 - 99.7k
$60 - 99.7k
$112 - 124k+
$70 - 121k+
$70 - 121k+
$70 - 121k+
$134 - 194k+
$149 - 155k+
$149 - 155k+
$149 - 155k+
ROLES
Marketing Director (6+ yrs’ exp)
Sales Director (8+ yrs’ exp)
PERMANENT SALARY
PER ANNUM $SGD
$150 - 220k+
$140 - 240k+
Demand for oil & gas upstream specialists rose throughout the first
half of 2013 across Asia, especially in countries such as Singapore,
Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Such professionals were
typically highly skilled and essential to the regional offshore projects
and exploration sites launched earlier this year.
Major oil operators hired most actively for their various regional
projects, with reservoir engineers, geologists, petrophysicists as well
as drilling specialists in particular demand. Experienced operations
and development geologists were also highly sought-after, and
those proficient in multifunctional roles and specific skills such as
geomodeling were strongly preferred.
Experienced subsurface individuals with the prerequisite qualifications
also continued to see high demand as companies expanded their
regional subsea units. The key drivers of these expansions included
relaxed government regulations, increased foreign investments as well
as the pressure to meet Asia Pacific’s ever-growing energy demand.
The tight candidate pool resulted in an employee-driven market, and
continued to increase the pressure on salaries. Candidates were
offered a premium salary increment averaging 15 – 25%, depending
on the demand for their skill sets.
We anticipate more geographical projects in the next half of 2013,
and will expect to see similar hiring trends. Employers will continue to
face challenges in attracting Asian professionals back to the region,
in particular those who have achieved successful careers globally.
These returnee candidates will likely be significantly more expensive
hires due to their international exposure, proven capabilities in a
multicultural environment as well as exposure to technological
innovations and exploration sites.
ROLES
PERMANENT
SALARY PER
ANNUM $SGD
CONTRACT
SALARY PER
MONTH $SGD
SALES & MARKETING
(CONSUMER)
The consumer industries saw active and increased recruitment levels
in the first six months of 2013 as compared to 2012. In particular,
FMCG firms sought mid to senior-level professionals to fill newlycreated
headcounts due to the start-up of new business units within
the organisation as well as the relocation of several global teams
to the Singapore office. We also observed increased hiring activity
within the professional services, hospitality and travel sectors due
to the expansion of organisations and the entry of multinationals
into Singapore. The retail space however remained stable, and saw
mostly replacement hiring.
Marketing Communications Manager (6+ yrs’ exp)
Marketing Manager (4 - 5 yrs’ exp)
Brand Manager (4+ yrs’ exp)
Trade Marketing Manager (4 - 5 yrs’ exp)
Key Account Manager (4 - 5 yrs’ exp)
Communications Manager (5 - 8 yrs’ exp)
$110 - 180k+
$80 - 100k
$80 - 100k
$70 - 100k
$70 - 90k
$70 - 100k
Moving forward, we foresee some spillover recruitment activity from
the first half of 2013, which will keep the market relatively active. The
later half of the year is traditionally more buoyant than the first as
companies are likely to have clearer business directions and higher
confidence levels.
Salary levels will remain stable for most roles. However candidates
with in-demand niche skill sets such as those strong in business
development or digital marketing could command increments of 20%
when switching jobs.
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
IT recruitment across the commerce sectors saw a slow start to the
year, however it picked up in quarter two. Open opportunities were
seen in existing projects and BAU IT functions in the first quarter,
with an increase in new projects being initiated in quarter two. We
saw demand from the healthcare, pharmaceutical, oil & gas, FMCG
and telecommunications sectors.
Companies were relaunching projects and expanding their
operations, which spurred the need for additional headcount.
Employers sought candidates skilled in data centre, data storage,
data cloud, IT pre-sales, product managing, IT architecture and
engineering. This was primarily due to the continued focus on
infrastructure projects and upgrades.
As a result of tighter budgets, companies offered conservative pay
increments of around 10% for candidates changing jobs. In order to
secure their preferred talent, employers adopted various attraction
strategies such as starting bonuses, learning and development
opportunities and certifying their employees with relevant IT courses.
Programme Manager
Director - IT
Pre-Sales Consultant (8+ yrs’ exp)
ERP Project Manager (7+ yrs’ exp)
Manager - IT
Infrastructure Security Specialist
Manager - Data Centre
Manager - Infrastructure Services
Project Manager (5+ yrs’ exp)
ERP Consultant Functional (5 - 8 yrs’ exp)
Systems Administrator (5 - 8 yrs’ exp)
Network Support Analyst (5+ yrs’ exp)
Moving into the second half of the year, we expect increased hiring
in the areas of FMCG and retail as these sectors are likely to launch
key ERP and infrastructure implementation and upgrade projects.
The telecommunications sector is also anticipated to see marginal
growth in headcount as they compete to keep their edge in a
challenging market.
CONTRACT
$180 - 240k
$140 - 250k
$120 - 180k
$120 - 160k
$100 - 140k
$120 - 180k
$100 - 180k
$90 - 140k
$90 - 140k
$90 - 120k
$70 - 90k
$60 - 90k
$15 - 30k
$12 - 22k
$10 - 16k
$8 - 12k
$8 - 15k
$8 - 15k
$7 - 14k
$8 - 15k
$7 - 10k
$5 - 7k+
$5 - 8k
Interim recruitment in this space was relatively strong, in particular for
junior to mid-level roles to fill position tenures of three to six months.
Highest demand was seen for helpdesk professionals, IT developers,
network engineers and system engineers. The increased hiring levels
were due to permanent headcount restrictions from management,
which meant more contract hires were required to bridge the
workforce gap.
Employers in the FMCG space sought marketing candidates with
international experience due to the relocation of some global roles
to the Singapore operations. As a result of the increasing shift in
marketing from traditional to online channels, we also saw a strong
demand for qualified digital marketers. Candidates with keen initiative
to bring in new revenue sources and business development managers
were sought-after in the professional services space, as they were
required to contribute to the bottom line and meet sales targets.
SALES & MARKETING
(BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS)
Due to the scarcity of niche talent, sales & marketing recruitment
in the information technology & telecommunications sectors during
the first half of the year was relatively slow. The largest challenge for
companies was in identifying sales candidates with strong product
knowledge within the information technology and business software
spaces. Tighter specifications from clients coupled with the limited
talent pool capped hiring levels. This was especially evident in the IT
CONTRACT
Recruitment in this space came primarily from the pharmaceutical
sector, with sporadic hires for positions that required niche skill sets.
The highest demand was seen in maternity cover and multinationals
sought interim professionals to fill positions for up to 12 months. Sales
and marketing candidates were also in demand for particular projects
such as relaunching brands or rebranding campaigns. Others were
recruited to facilitate certain change projects.
ROLES
General Manager/Managing Director (6+ yrs’ exp)
Marketing Director (6+ yrs’ exp)
Sales Director (8+ yrs’ exp)
Business Development Manager (8+ yrs’ exp)
Business Development Manager (4 - 7 yrs’ exp)
Marketing Communications Manager (4 - 5 yrs’ exp)
PERMANENT SALARY
PER ANNUM $SGD
$200 - 300k+
$150 - 200k+
$150 - 225k+
$120 - 180k+
$80 - 120k
$75 - 110k
software space, where organisations sought candidates with highly
niche skills such as cloud data and ERP.
Larger multinationals underwent internal restructuring and refocused
business directions which generated more opportunities for sales
professionals. As cyber consumerism grew, digital and online
experience became an important requirement for marketers, on top

of the traditional brand and product marketing skills. Candidates
were also expected to have a strong understanding of multi-channel
marketing communications and public relations.
The industrial space saw a strong start to the year. There was
consistent demand for competent sales and key accounts candidates
within the logistics and third-party logistics businesses. However, the
active movement of talent in this space led to a candidate-driven
market in the later part of quarter two.
Organisations in the chemicals industry focused on regional growth,
in particular within the Indonesian and Malaysian markets. Candidates
with knowledge and relationships in these Asian countries were highly
sought-after as companies focused on widening their distribution in
these areas. The automobile sector also experienced growth, which
led to available positions for corporate sales and account management
SECRETARIAL &
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Generally, we saw strong levels of hiring in the first half of 2013. A
majority of the demand came from the professional services, FMCG
and pharmaceutical sectors. Recruitment was largely required for
replacement headcount due to the high attrition rate which typically
occurs after bonus payouts.
Call centres and customer service hubs that were newly established
in Singapore sought multi-lingual candidates skilled in Japanese,
Korean or Mandarin. This was due to Singapore’s position as a
regional hub for call centres working directly with customers in
South Korea, Japan and China. In a bid to reduce costs, companies
in the commerce sectors sought candidates with strong multitasking
abilities, along with the capacity to support teams. This
subsequently led to a higher demand for executive assistants and
team secretaries.
In addition to carrying out the traditional business support functions,
secretaries and personal assistants were also required to be
commercially savvy. They were expected to work closer with the
management in a business partnering role and be more involved in
the day-to-day operations of the company. Salary levels remained
relatively stable through the first half of the year, and candidates can
expect to receive an average pay increment of 5 – 10%.
ROBERT WALTERS ASIA JOB INDEX
We anticipate similar recruitment trends in the second half of 2013
as a majority of companies are likely to hire replacements instead
of new headcount due to budget constraints. However, the recent
establishment of new business units within the pharmaceutical
industry is expected to generate more demand for support and
team secretaries.
CONTRACT
The Asia Job Index is highly regarded as an informative source, and its reports have been
covered by numerous mainstream and trade media around Asia. Many companies have also
used the Asia Job Index as a reference for their organisation’s research and strategy reports.
Visit www.asiajobindex.com for more information.
professionals. However, due to the sizable 50% down payment on
cars recently implemented by the Singapore government, this market
is likely to see a slowdown.
Salaries remained constant, with companies offering pay increments
of 15 – 20% to job seekers. However, monetary increases did not seem
to be the largest deciding factor for candidates, as many professionals
tend to move for a position with better career opportunities. The sales
and marketing fields is likely to remain competitive, with further growth
in the chemicals and logistics industries due to Singapore’s strategic
position as an entry point to the rest of Asia. Our buoyant shipping
industry and flourishing sea port will continue to remain attractive to
these organisations as they look to expand. The demand for these
products and services will grow in tandem with economic progress
within the region, particularly in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia
and Myanmar.
ROLES
Office Manager
Senior Secretary
Investment Banking Secretary
Personal Assistant/Executive Assistant
Legal Secretary
Team Secretary
Administrator
Receptionist
PERMANENT
SALARY PER
ANNUM $SGD
$72 - 110k
$66 - 84k
$66 - 90k
$48 - 72k
$48 - 66k
$36 - 54k
$30 - 42k
$24 - 36k
CONTRACT
SALARY PER
MONTH $SGD
$6 - 10k+
$5 - 8k+
$5 - 8k+
$4 - 7k
$4 - 6k+
$4 - 5k+
$3 - 4k+
$2 - 3k+
Generally, this space saw an active and strong start to the year with
a growing demand for contract positions. Law firms in particular,
saw more opportunities for legal secretaries and paralegals. These
interim hires were needed to fill the workforce gaps during maternity
periods or to handle the increased workload during projects.
Other commerce sectors including FMCG, media, IT and
telecommunications also sought temporary business support
professionals for reception and administration positions.
Overall, we saw an increased demand from companies for contract
hires. Organisations continued to show keen interest in introducing
contractors into their workforce planning to complement existing
teams. We expect demand to remain positive for this space in the
second half of the year.
SUPPLY CHAIN,
PROCUREMENT
& LOGISTICS
Recruitment in 2013 started off with a conservative first quarter and
stronger activity in quarter two. The slowdown was due to fewer new
headcount, less talent actively looking to move as well as a more
cautious mentality among employers and candidates. In addition,
the numerous public holidays during the festive periods delayed
hiring processes.
Market sentiments, however, dramatically improved in quarter two.
Candidates were more open to considering other career options
after receiving their annual bonuses, which led to active hiring across
all sectors. This was most evident within industrial sectors such as
medical devices, consumer durables and automotives. We also
observed several roles being filled before the end of the financial year
in July, as employers faced the possibility of losing the headcount in
the following year if those positions were left empty.
These increased opportunities were largely for procurement (indirect
spend) talent, demand planners, planning managers and senior level
end-to-end supply chain professionals. These supply chain candidates
were required for both new and replacement roles where centralised
hubs backfilled positions post promotions and resignations.
In the coming half of 2013, we expect a strong increase in recruitment
levels in quarter three, along with the seasonal trend of reduced
TECHNICAL
HEALTHCARE
The sector generally saw positive expansion and profitability in the
first half of 2013, which led to higher levels of recruitment activity
during the months of March and April. In addition, we saw significant
growth in the sector as international companies entered Singapore
and established new business units.
In line with their growth, pharmaceutical companies hired clinical study
managers, project managers, regulatory affairs and medical sales
professionals. Sales and marketing candidates were highly soughtafter
in the medical devices and nutrition firms. These organisations
had newly launched businesses and divisions in Singapore, and such
professionals were required to generate revenue to strengthen their
market positioning.
Companies in this sector also actively sought clinical study and
project managers to manage clinical research officers (CROs) and
regulate medical trial processes. Product and marketing managers
ROLES
Regional Procurement Director (10+ yrs’ exp)
Strategic Sourcing Manager (10+ yrs’ exp)
Category/Commodity Manager (7+ yrs’ exp)
Planning Manager (6+ yrs’ exp)
Supply Chain Manager (6+ yrs’ exp)
Supply/Demand Planner (5+ yrs’ exp)
Category/Commodity Manager (3 - 6 yrs’ exp)
Customer Service Manager (8+ yrs’ exp)
PERMANENT SALARY
PER ANNUM $SGD
$220 - 300k
$140 - 200k+
$90 - 160k+
$95 - 130k
$75 - 130k+
$60 - 90k
$50 - 90k
$60 - 90k
hiring activity in quarter four. As Singapore continues to establish
itself as a key logistics hub, we anticipate more multinationals
transferring their business centres into the country. This will likely
give rise to a large number of open positions, predominantly from
global FMCG and pharmaceutical companies in the procurement and
planning functions.
CONTRACT
The requirement for contract supply chain and procurement
professionals saw an increase in the first half of 2013. This was
largely caused by the acute talent shortage where companies
were unable to fill the positions with permanent hires. As a result,
a greater number of contract candidates were required to bridge
the workforce gaps. In addition, companies were challenged by
headcount budget constraints, which further drove the demand for
temporary supply chain professionals.
The recruitment focus also shifted from procurement to supply chain
professionals, with interest in candidates skilled in supply planning
and analysis across a variety of categories such as IT, professional
services and materials. Job seekers were required to have qualified
sourcing, procurement and planning capabilities. Salaries remained
level and on par with those seen in the permanent space.
ROLES
Office Manager
Senior Secretary
Investment Banking Secretary
Personal Assistant/Executive Assistant
Legal Secretary
Team Secretary
Administrator
Receptionist
PERMANENT
SALARY PER
ANNUM $SGD
PERMANENT
SALARY PER
PERMANENT
ANNUM $SGD
$72 - 110k
$66 - 84k
$66 - 90k
$48 - 72k
$48 - 66k
$36 - 54k
$30 - 42k
$24 - 36k
CONTRACT
SALARY PER
MONTH $SGD
CONTRACT
$6 - 10k+
$5 - 8k+
$5 - 8k+
$4 - 7k
$4 - 6k+
$4 - 5k+
$3 - 4k+
$2 - 3k+
were also highly sought-after to focus on brand management and
bolster market positioning, especially when patented drugs expired or
when companies face increased competition in the form of generics
entering the market.
Medical sales representatives were also in demand to drive bottom
line, which in turn led to the need for more sales managers to facilitate
the line management of these representatives and provide sales
technique mentorship.
For the remaining of the year, recruitment activity is likely to continue
for this sector. However we expect to see companies hiring more
replacement roles as opposed to new headcounts. We also foresee
the probable lack of niche, high-skilled talent within the in-vivo
sciences area. This could potentially lead to companies sourcing
for talent from India or China with the pre-requisite PhD certification.
Salaries will remain stable with qualified job seekers anticipated to
secure pay increments averaging 20 – 30%.

TOBY FOWLSTON
MANAGING DIRECTOR, ROBERT WALTERS SINGAPORE
Toby Fowlston is the Managing Director of Robert Walters Singapore. He has over 14 years’ recruitment
experience from the UK, having first started his career with Robert Walters UK upon qualifying as
a solicitor in 1999. He joined the commerce and industry team as a consultant, and was promoted
to Manager of the financial services, accountancy and operations team in 2003. Toby was further
appointed Director of the Banking, Insurance, Public Sector and Commerce & Industry divisions in 2005
and Managing Director in 2011. He assumed responsibility of the overall London business in 2012 and
moved to Singapore in early 2013.
Reporting to Mark Ellwood (Managing Director, Southeast Asia), Toby is responsible for leading and
growing the Singapore office.
T: (65) 6228 0227
E: toby.fowlston@robertwalters.com.sg
ACCOUNTING & FINANCE
Dominic Salomoni
Associate Director
T: 6228 0276
E: dominic.salomoni@robertwalters.com.sg
Cheryl Ann Szetoh
Manager, Senior Accounting & Finance
T: 6228 0286
E: cheryl-ann.szetoh@robertwalters.com.sg
Caroline Owen
Manager
T: 6228 0229
E: caroline.owen@robertwalters.com.sg
Sacha Philp
Manager (Contracting)
T: 6228 0288
E: sacha.philp@robertwalters.com.sg
ENGINEERING
Yiling Liu
Manager
T: 6228 5337
E: yiling.liu@robertwalters.com.sg
HUMAN RESOURCES
Joanne Chua
Associate Director
T: 6228 0292
E: joanne.chua@robertwalters.com.sg
Gwen Lim
Manager
T: 6228 0294
E: gwen.lim@robertwalters.com.sg
Leanne Nettleship
Manager (Contracting)
T: 6228 0271
E: leanne.nettleship@robertwalters.com.sg
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Joel Hides
Associate Director
T: 6228 0209
E: joel.hides@robertwalters.com.sg
Pri Sandhu
Manager
T: 6228 0223
E: pri.sandhu@robertwalters.com.sg
Nandita Nandakumar
Manager (Contracting)
T: 6228 5366
E: nandita.nandakumar@robertwalters.com.sg
LEGAL
Christina Ng
Associate Director
T: 6228 0262
E: christina.ng@robertwalters.com.sg
Sarah Ellis-Goldsmith
Manager
T: 6228 0289
E: sarah-ellis.goldsmith@robertwalters.com.sg
OIL & GAS
Dominic Salomoni
Associate Director
T: 6228 0276
E: dominic.salomoni@robertwalters.com.sg
SALES & MARKETING
Tim Klimcke
Associate Director
T: 6228 0272
tim.klimcke@robertwalters.com.sg
Wendy Heng
Manager
T: 6228 0278
E: wendy.heng@robertwalters.com.sg
SECRETARIAL & BUSINESS SUPPORT
Joanne Chua
Associate Director
T: 6228 0292
E: joanne.chua@robertwalters.com.sg
Bruno Marchand
Manager
T: 6228 0208
E: bruno.marchand@robertwalters.com.sg
SUPPLY CHAIN, PROCUREMENT &
LOGISTICS
Joanne Chua
Associate Director
T: 6228 0292
E: joanne.chua@robertwalters.com.sg
Annie Sachdev
Manager
T: 6228 5341
E: annie.sachdev@robertwalters.com.sg
TECHNICAL HEALTHCARE
Tim Klimcke
Associate Director
T: 6228 0272
E: tim.klimcke@robertwalters.com.sg
Wendy Heng
Manager
T: 6228 0278
E: wendy.heng@robertwalters.com.sg
WINNER - PREFERRED RECRUITMENT FIRM
(MID RANGE / HIGH END ROLES)
WINNER - PREFERRED RECRUITMENT FIRM
WINNER - PREFERRED RECRUITMENT FIRMS
(MID RANGE / HIGH END ROLES)
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