Amid a slowing Singapore economy which has grown just 0.6% in July to September compared to 2015, and news of retrenchments across industries, there remains a strong demand for supply chain and procurement professionals. As companies look to cut costs and increase efficiencies in all areas, supply chain and procurement talent have become highly sought-after, especially in the areas of life science, retail, FMCG as well as banking and financial services.
Here are three of the most in-demand supply chain and procurement talent for 2017:
1. indirect procurement managers
Senior indirect procurement professionals face high level, demanding and multifaceted roles, which increase in complexity as they move into regional roles. This is because they are expected to procure services from various markets with different cultures and business dynamics, while still focusing on driving down costs. Candidates with Southeast Asia, Asia-Pacific and global experience remain highly sought-after and are extremely difficult to find, leading to strong remuneration packages and opportunities for such talent.
Salary range: S$100,000 to S$300,000 per annum depending on industry, excluding bonuses.
Roles within the banking and financial services industry represent the high end of this salary scale as there is a significant gap between the salaries of indirect procurement people in financial services compared to other industries.
2. fleet managers
The proliferation of tech-based delivery startups in Singapore, such as GogoVan, RedMart and Deliveroo has led to an increasing demand for fleet managers. Startups are often staffed with young tech-savvy employees, hence experienced fleet managers, particularly those in an older age group, need to be able to fit into a startup culture. In addition to strong driver management skills, these candidates are also required to have data-driven analytical mindsets to best analyse transport routes and times for continual optimisation.
Salary range: S$60,000 to S$120,000 per annum, excluding bonuses.
3. supply chain excellence leaders
Organisations looking to reap cost efficiencies would typically move some of their operations from third party logistics vendors to in-house talent. Supply chain excellence leaders are sought-after not only to help businesses with migrating these functions, but also to impart knowledge of the change management procedure and carry out improvements to the organisation’s supply chain strategy.
Salary range: S$120,000 to S$200,000 per annum, excluding bonuses.
If finding exceptional talent for your business is a key challenge or if you want to take your professional career to the next level, please get in touch with us.