Singapore has the fastest-growing population of single family offices in the world, and the staffing pattern that comes with it is familiar from London and Dubai: a lean office of two to eight people around a principal, a household in Sentosa Cove, Bukit Timah or the Nassim Road area, and a principal who travels constantly across the region and to Europe. Oplu works in Singapore for families who already know us from London, Dubai or Istanbul, and for offices that want a European executive search approach to a market where recruitment is still largely transactional.

Roles we place in Singapore

The office. The first hires in a Singapore family office are usually a Chief of Staff or Executive Assistant to the principal, a finance and operations lead, and then the investment team. We place Family Office Directors, CFOs, Chief Investment Officers and Analysts. For offices using the Section 13O or 13U fund tax incentives, the Monetary Authority of Singapore's conditions include qualifying investment professionals and local spending requirements. These conditions affect how the team is built.

The household. House Managers, Private Chefs, Butlers and senior childcare, from Governesses and Tutors to nannies for families who want a European or bilingual model of childcare alongside domestic helpers employed under the local scheme.

Across the region. Singapore is often the base for a principal whose residences are in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok or Sydney. We place travelling PAs, Private PAs and estate staff who work across those properties from Singapore.

How Oplu works in Singapore

The local market for private office and senior household staff is thin and well networked, so most of our Singapore searches combine three pools: candidates already in Singapore, often in bank or fund roles who want to move into a family setting; expatriates in Hong Kong, Dubai or London who will relocate; and Singaporean and regional candidates we reach through partners on the ground.

Searches are led by Fırat Bay for office and investment roles and by Antonia Edwards for household roles, with interviews scheduled across the time difference and finalists met in Singapore or London. We are explicit about the relocation element at the start of each search and about what it costs.

Confidentiality follows the same rules as in every other market: no advertising of senior roles, direct approaches only, and the principal's identity withheld until shortlist.

Compensation in Singapore

Office salaries in Singapore are close to London for comparable roles and higher for investment seats, with packages that may include a 13th-month payment, bonus and medical insurance. The 13th-month payment and bonus depend on the agreed terms. Expatriate packages have become less generous than a decade ago and candidates relocating from Europe now compare total cost of living, including school fees and rent, more carefully. Household salaries for European-model staff sit above the local domestic helper market by a wide margin. Ranges are set out in the Family Office Salary Guide and the Private Staff Salary Guide; we benchmark Singapore packages individually.

Employment notes for Singapore

The appropriate work pass depends on the role, employer and candidate. An Employment Pass is one route for eligible foreign professionals; it requires a qualifying salary and, unless exempt, a COMPASS assessment. Family offices using MAS fund tax incentives must also consider the scheme's staffing conditions. A senior household title does not by itself establish eligibility for a professional work pass. Migrant domestic workers use a separate Work Permit route with its own levy, insurance and accommodation rules, and cannot work for the family's business. The Employment Act covers most employees but excludes domestic workers, whose employment is governed by separate requirements and their contracts. We plan start dates around the relevant pass process and approvals.

Working with Oplu in Singapore

The first conversation is confidential, by video or in London or Singapore, with a Managing Director. We scope the office structure, the regulatory constraints, the role and the compensation before the search opens.

Questions we are asked about hiring in Singapore

Can you run a search in Singapore from London? Yes, and most of our Singapore clients came to us because the search needed reach beyond Singapore. Finalists are met in Singapore or London; we schedule interviews around the time difference.

How does the Employment Pass affect who we can hire? An Employment Pass application must meet the qualifying salary and other eligibility conditions, including COMPASS unless an exemption applies. Other work pass routes have different conditions. We check the appropriate route for each relocation candidate before shortlist.

Can a family office hire household staff through the fund entity? The employing entity and work pass must match the actual duties. A migrant domestic worker hired under the household Work Permit cannot work for a business. We review the employer structure and pass route before the offer.

How long does a Singapore search take? Eight to twelve weeks for office and investment roles, six to ten for senior household roles, with additional time for any required work pass and approvals.