Case Study: Building an HPC Infrastructure Team in Singapore

The Hiring Requirement

The client required professionals who could support the infrastructure requirements of an HPC project in Singapore.

Rather than recruiting for a single vacancy, the organisation needed to build capabilities across several interconnected infrastructure functions.

The roles included:

• Systems Administrator
• Storage Administrator
• Network Administrator

Each position required its own technical skill set, but the successful candidates also needed to be comfortable working within an enterprise infrastructure environment where systems, networks and storage operate closely together.

This meant the search could not rely solely on matching job titles. Understanding candidates’ actual infrastructure exposure, technical environments and project experience was equally important.

The Recruitment Challenge

While infrastructure professionals are available in Singapore, relevant experience can vary significantly between candidates with similar job titles.

For this project, the recruitment process needed to identify candidates with experience relevant to the client’s environment while keeping the search moving quickly.

The key considerations included:

Technical relevance. Candidates needed appropriate experience across systems administration, enterprise storage or networking rather than simply having worked in general IT support.

HPC and enterprise infrastructure exposure. Candidates with experience supporting complex infrastructure environments were particularly relevant to the project.

Shifting project timeline. The client’s project start date shifted during the recruitment process, requiring the search to remain flexible while maintaining engagement with relevant candidates.

Availability. The client required the team to be assembled within a relatively short period once the project timeline became firm, making candidate availability an important consideration.

Multiple concurrent searches. Three different technical searches needed to progress simultaneously while maintaining appropriate screening for each position.

Our Approach

We approached the assignment as a coordinated infrastructure recruitment project rather than three unrelated vacancies.

1. Defining the Technical Requirements

We first clarified the responsibilities and technical expectations for each position with the client’s HR team.

This allowed the recruitment team to distinguish between candidates with general infrastructure experience and those whose backgrounds were more closely aligned with the systems, networking and storage requirements of the project.

2. Targeted Candidate Sourcing

We conducted active sourcing across relevant infrastructure talent pools in Singapore.

Rather than relying only on applicants, our recruiters proactively identified professionals whose experience aligned with the client’s requirements.

Searches were conducted concurrently across the three functions so that the client could assess candidates for the overall team as the recruitment project progressed.

3. Screening Beyond Job Titles

Infrastructure roles can vary considerably between organisations, even when the job titles are similar. We therefore assessed candidates based on their actual technical experience, infrastructure exposure, project involvement and responsibilities, rather than relying on titles alone.

This helped us identify candidates whose backgrounds were more closely aligned with the client’s environment and requirements.

4. Maintaining a Focused Shortlist

Instead of sending a large volume of CVs, the objective was to provide a focused shortlist of candidates whose experience aligned with the requirements of each position.

Close communication with the client also allowed the searches to be adjusted quickly as feedback was received.

The Result

Hiring Turnaround

Once the project timeline was confirmed, all three infrastructure positions were successfully filled within eight days.

The coordinated search allowed the client to progress several technical hires within the same timeframe rather than recruiting each role sequentially.

Recruitment Cost Savings

The project was delivered through Tyson Jay’s fixed-fee recruitment model.

Traditional recruitment agencies in Singapore commonly charge fees as a percentage of a successful candidate’s annual base salary, typically around 15–20%. For specialised technology roles, this can result in significantly higher recruitment costs as salaries increase.

With our fixed-fee structure, the client achieved estimated recruitment fee savings of 40–55% across the hires. The agreed recruitment cost was also established upfront, providing greater cost predictability regardless of the successful candidates’ salaries.

Why the Fixed-Fee Model Worked for This Project

For organisations recruiting several professionals at similar levels, percentage-based recruitment fees can quickly accumulate.

A fixed-fee structure provided the client with greater cost predictability while still allowing us to conduct active candidate sourcing and screening for each position.

The fixed-fee structure maintained the focus on identifying candidates whose experience aligned with each technical requirement.

For this project, the combination of multiple hires, specialised infrastructure requirements and a defined recruitment timeline made the fixed-fee approach particularly suitable.

Recruiting Infrastructure and Technology Professionals in Singapore

Tyson Jay supports organisations in Singapore with recruitment across infrastructure and technology functions, including systems, networking, storage, cybersecurity, cloud, AI and technology project roles.

Through our IT, AI & Technology Recruitment services, we focus on understanding the actual environment, responsibilities and technical requirements behind each vacancy, helping us identify candidates based on relevant experience rather than job titles alone.

Our fixed-fee recruitment model gives employers greater visibility over recruitment costs while still providing active sourcing, candidate screening and a focused shortlist tailored to their hiring needs.