HK Market Trends Report 2014 1H

MARKET
TRENDS
& SALARY
REPORT
1H 2014 HONG KONG
WELCOME
Ambition Market Trends & Salary Report 1H 2014 Hong Kong
Contents
Introduction 4
Hong Kong Market Overview
Banking & Financial Services
Finance & Accounting
6
12
Sales & Marketing
14
Supply Chain & Procurement
18
Technology
20
Hong Kong Employee Survey Results
24
Hong Kong Employer Survey Results
27
About Ambition
28
Introduction
The second half of 2013 was somewhat

similar to the first half of the year. Hiring
in the FMCG, luxury retail and some
areas of manufacturing continued to
be slow but other sectors like financial
services, segments of retail and property/
construction have continued to be active
in recruitment. More stability in the
global financial markets coupled with
improved economic data from China is
continuing to drive further confidence in
companies expanding their operations
in Hong Kong.
The Banking & Financial Services market is still split into two sectors. Investment
Banks still remain cautious in the hiring of middle to back office roles and are
focused on critical replacement roles only. Certain job functions like product control,
settlements and corporate actions have seen a reduction in roles as these positions
have been offshored as part of cost saving initiatives by the banks. Risk, compliance
and other regulatory reporting roles continue to be in very high demand and this
will continue as governments around the world focus on further regulations within
the sector.
We are continuing to see Chinese banks further expand their operations in Hong
Kong and have been very active at hiring both front and back office staff. Outside
banking, other financial services companies like insurance, private equity, and hedge
funds are continuing to steadily add new headcounts to their marketing, operations
and finance functions. Senior candidates are becoming more willing to consider
new opportunities as they may find that career progression and salary increments
in their current firm have been limited over the last few years. In the later
part of Q4 2013, there was limited candidate movement as they waited for
annual bonuses to be paid out at Chinese New Year.
The Commerce & Industry sector has remained active across the areas
that we specialise in. The general retail areas (especially beauty & skin care,
fashion & apparel), construction and property have been very busy with
recruitment. In Sales & Marketing, there has been a lot of demand for digital
marketing, CRM and branding / marketing communication talent. In Finance
& Accounting we continue to see an on-going need for financial analysts,
assistant accounts and other junior finance positions.
In the second half of 2013 there was an increase in the recruitment of
Internal Auditors and people with strong regional FP&A experience. For the
Technology sector, there has been a strong demand in the areas of network,
infrastructure, system analysts and data centres. We also expect to see
more junior IT roles be outsourced to China as further centres of excellence
continue to open.
We expect 2014 to see further growth and increase in recruitment if
global economies continue to stabilise and economic data from the USA
continues to demonstrate further economic growth. China also remains
critical to growth in the region, so positive economic data during 2014 is
also very important.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continual
support and for completing our survey. If you need specific market or salary
advice or assistance with recruitment within your business, please feel free
to contact us.
Kind regards,
Mark Enticott
Managing Director, Hong Kong
Banking & FinancIAL SERVICES

Despite ongoing uncertainty around global economic conditions in the recent years,
the Banking & Financial Services recruitment market in Hong Kong has done better than
expected in 2013.
Throughout 2013, many companies continued to invest in the Asia Pacific region, with a number
of companies (especially Chinese firms) such as asset management, private equity firms, and local
Chinese banks entering or building their presence in Hong Kong. Banks, particularly investment
banks, still had some minor redundancies taking place. Overall banks in general are still cost
conscious and are more focused on replacement and strategic hires only.
Several major investment banks have reported profits from their Sales & Trading business in 2013
thus they are looking to increase front office headcount for early 2014. This may eventually result
in an increase in hiring in some areas of the middle back office functions. Trading in exotics and
structured derivatives investment products was quiet in the previous years but it picked up slightly
again in 2013, with banks cautiously reconsidering to resume this side of the business.
The trend of hiring contractors continues, with a view to making them permanent once headcount is
approved and strong performance is proven. Professionals have become more open to contracting
opportunities given the economic climate but the trend is still for candidates to continue their job
search for permanent positions whilst employed in a contracting role.
Roles in demand:
Compliance (Anti-Money Laundering) Professionals in banking and financial services have felt
the impact of tightening changes to the regulations. The last few years have seen an explosion
in new AML compliance and disclosure requirements and banks have witnessed or experienced
the severe consequences in terms of fines and penalties for failing to meet the requirements. In
response, many of these companies have been building a stronger compliance team. The liquidity
requirements from reform initiatives such as the Dodd-Frank Act and Basel III had a substantial
impact on the business of banking. Professionals with an excellent track record in compliance
and risk management especially those in more senior roles will find their expertise highly
sought after.
Client On-boarding (COB) / Know Your Client (KYC) In line with the increasing regulations
around compliance, COB / KYC plays a critical role in introducing new clients to the
organisation and ensuring efficient and timely on-boarding documentation and full due
diligence is done with respect to required procedures and regulations. Professionals with an
extensive knowledge of client on-boarding (including KYC) are in great demand.
Internal Audit / Operational Risk Board members and senior management are demanding
greater visibility from their accounting and operational processes. Internal audit and
operational risk are the whistle blowers within an organisation, identifying poor processes
and potential problems / risks that might arise. That is why experienced talent in this space
are highly valued by progressive companies.
Others We have seen some new additions of senior tax roles in banks and financial services
as specific product related tax regulations are also tightening. Within sales & marketing,
an increase in business development and editorial / literature management roles is also
noted as organisations look to grow their business as well as improving the quality of their
promotional marketing materials.
Most of the banking and financial institutions may announce and pay their salary rise and
discretionary bonus around the Chinese New Year period (i.e. Feb/ Mar). The expectation on
pay rise is similar to the inflationary rate and bonus is around one to four months for middle
to back office functions depending on the seniority of the position and the performance
of the organisation and the individual. However, for roles in great demand as mentioned
earlier, we have seen larger salary increments (e.g. 20 to 35%) for people changing jobs
and expect more lucrative bonuses (e.g. four to eight months) for organisations to retain
experienced strong performers within the risk, compliance, and audit functions.
BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES
Salary / Bonus Expectations

Investment Banking
Job Title
Annual salary range (HK$)
Internal Audit
Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.6M - 2M
Vice President
900K - 1.5M
Assistant Vice President
600K - 900K
Associate
360K - 600K
Analyst
240K - 420K
CFO
Regional Chief Financial Officer
2M+
Country Chief Financial Officer
1.6M+
Compliance
Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.6M - 2M
Vice President
900K - 1.5M
720K - 1M
Associate
360K - 660K
Analyst
240K - 420K
Management Reporting / FP & A

Managing Director
2M+
Director
Vice President
Associate
Analyst
1.4M - 1.8M
840K - 1.4M
600K - 780K
300K - 540K
180K - 300K
Product Control
Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.5M - 1.8M
Vice President
900K - 1.5M
600K - 900K
Associate
420K - 540K
Analyst
Regulatory Reporting / Financial Accounting
240K - 420K
Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.4M - 1.8M
Vice President
840K - 1.4M
540K - 780K
Associate
240K - 480K
Analyst
Tax
150K - 240K
Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.5M - 1.8M+
Vice President
960K - 1.5M
540K - 900K
Associate
Analyst
400K - 540K
220K - 360K

Investment Banking
Job Title
Operations (Settlements / Corporate Actions / Treasury)

Managing Director
1.8M+
Director
Vice President
1.2M - 1.8M
624K - 1.2M
480K - 720K
Associate
360K - 500K
Analyst
240K - 390K
Middle Office (Trade Support / Sales Support / Client Services)

Managing Director
1.8M+
Director
1.4M - 1.8M
Vice President
840K - 1.4M
540K - 900K
Associate
420K - 576K
Analyst
264K - 456K
Project Management
Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.4M - 1.8M
Vice President
960K - 1.5M
720K - 960K
Associate
420K - 650K
Analyst
250K - 450K
Credit Risk
Managing Director
1.8M+
Director
1.3M - 1.6M
Vice President
840K - 1.4M
600K - 800K
Associate
360K - 600K
Analyst
240K - 360K
Market Risk
Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.5M - 1.8M
Vice President
960K - 1.5M
600K - 900K
Associate
480K - 660K
Analyst
300K - 500K
Operational Risk / Internal Control

Managing Director
2M+
Director
1.4M - 1.8M
Vice President
900K - 1.5M
600K - 900K
Associate
360K - 600K
Analyst
240K - 420K

Private Banking, Asset / Fund Management & other Financial Services
Job Title
Operations
Director
1.1M+
Senior Manager
720K - 1M
Manager
540K - 720K
Assistant Manager
360K - 540K
Officer / Senior Officer
144K - 360K

Director
1.2M+
Senior Manager
720K -1M
Manager
540K - 720K
Assistant Manager
360K - 540K
180K - 360K

Director
1.2M+
Senior Manager
720K - 1M
Manager
540K - 720K
Assistant Manager
360K - 540K
180K - 360K
Internal Audit / Risk

Director
Senior Manager
Manager
Assistant Manager
1.3M+
780K - 1.2M
540K - 780K
360K - 540K
240k - 380k
Compliance
Director
1.3M+
Senior Manager
780K - 1.2M
Manager
540K - 780K
Assistant Manager
360K - 540K
240k - 380k
10

Insurance
Job Title
Operations
Director
1M+
Senior Manager
660K - 1M
Manager
480K - 660K
Assistant Manager
300K - 450K
120K - 330K

Director
1.2M+
Senior Manager
660K - 1.1M
Manager
480K - 660K
Assistant Manager
350K - 460K
150K - 350K

Director
1.2M+
Senior Manager
720K - 1.1M
Manager
540K - 720K
Assistant Manager
300K - 480K
150K - 350K
Tax
Director
Senior Manager
Manager
Assistant Manager
1.3M+
720K - 1.2M
540K - 720K
360K - 480K
200K - 360K
Internal Audit / Risk

Director
1.3M+
Senior Manager
780K - 1.2M
Manager
480K - 780K
Assistant Manager
360K - 540K

Compliance
240k - 360k
Director
1.3M+
Senior Manager
780K - 1.2M
Manager
480K - 780K
Assistant Manager
360K - 540K
240k - 360k
11
FINANCE & ACCOUNTING

2013 has seen most companies holding back their expansion plans, with
majority of positions limited to replacement roles. The driving force
behind the Finance & Accounting recruitment mainly came from the
Consumer Goods, Media, Property & Construction and Logistics sectors.
Whilst a large number of multinationals have moved their back office finance functions to
Shared Service Centres in the other Asia countries, Hong Kong remains a regional hub for
positions such as Financial Planning & Analysis, Reporting, Internal Audit, Tax and Treasury.
2013 has also seen an increase in demand for Internal Audit roles, majority of them being
newly created headcounts across a number of industries: Property & Construction, IT&T and
Media to name a few. Companies also looked for in house Corporate Finance professionals
as they anticipate a strong pipeline of projects in the later part of 2013 and 2014.
Overall the employment market has remained steady throughout 2013 - slow somewhat
in the third quarter but picking up again at the start of last quarter. This was because
companies foresee staff turnover towards Chinese New Year and they want to get a head
start on their search for talent.
Continuous growth of China, with current GDP of c 7.8% to a forecast of 8.2% in 2014;
increased M&A activities towards the latter part of 2013; expected economic upturn in the
US and Europe, the current outlook for 2014 is so far a positive one.
12
Finance & Accounting Professionals

Commerce & Industry
Job Title
Experience
Head of Audit
12 - 15
1.2M+
Senior Audit Manager
8 - 10
760K - 1.2M
Internal Audit Manager
5-8
520K - 760K
Internal Auditor
3-5
300K - 520K
CFO
15+
1.5M - 3M +
Finance Director
12 - 15
1.2M - 1.8M
Regional Financial Controller
10 - 12
800K - 1.2M
Financial Controller
8 - 10
720K - 1M
Finance / Accounting Manager
6 - 10
420K - 720K
Financial Accountant
4-5
300K - 450K
Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable Accountant
Up to 8 years
180K - 300K
Manager - Management Accounting
8 - 10
550K - 780K
Senior Management Accountant
6-8
400K - 580K
Management Accountant
3-5
240K - 420K
Head of Planning & Analysis
10 - 12
900K - 1.4M
Financial Planning & Analysis Manager
8 - 10
600K - 900K
Senior Financial Analyst
6-8
420K - 600K
Financial Analyst
3-6
240K - 450K
Vice President / Head of Tax
12+
900K - 1.6M
Tax Manager
8 - 10
540K - 900K
Tax Accountant
3-7
300K - 480K
Head of Treasury
10 - 12
800K - 1.2M
Treasury Manager
540K - 800K
Treasury Accountant
4-8
360K - 540K
Audit / Internal Control
Financial Accounting
Management Accounting
Planning & Analysis
Tax
FINANCE & ACCOUNTING
Treasury
13
SALES & MARKETING

Recruitment across sales and marketing functions remain at a steady level throughout
2013. Not dissimilar to 2012, employers tend to be cautious and recruitment activities
are generally geared towards replacing talent rather than business expansion.
Overall, sales and business development roles that generate revenue often carry more
weight and are usually priorities when companies decide to hire. Under marketing and
communications, we saw businesses increasing head counts in the areas of corporate
communications and customer relationship management (CRM). 2013 also saw more
businesses relocating certain roles and at times even entire departments to other cities.
Singapore and Shanghai are amongst the top choices for hub relocation.
In terms of trends within specific industries and functions, 2013 was overall consistent with
the previous year. Digital advertising and social media spend took up a more significant
portion of every consumer brands marketing budget. Talent with experience in digital
marketing will find it difficult to resist opportunities offered in the job market both in Hong
Kong and China. On the retail front, the impact of mainland Chinese consumer spending is
diminishing. Retailers are now refocusing their strategies with a heavier emphasis on offering
quality customer service and loyalty programs to retain customer base and encourage
repeated business. As a result, candidates with retail training and CRM experience are in
great demand.
The construction industry continues to see a shortage of technical and commercial talent.
Ongoing projects on the infrastructure side both locally and regionally are reasons for
talent shortage across all levels. Government policies and natural demand, especially for
residential developments, will further create job opportunities in the real estate sector.
Despite an increasing domestic consumption market in China, growth is not seen on the
manufacturing side due to poor demand from exporting regions such as Europe and the
Americas. This has also led to a sluggish logistics sector especially on the service provider
side. Many 3PL (third party logistics) find themselves strategising to create more valueadded services to customers in order to maintain margin and profit.
For early 2014 we expect similar trends from the market. Chinese New Year remains a critical
period as candidates will kick start the job hunting cycle following post bonus or salary
increment. Market confidence will also determine whether candidates stay in their current
jobs or seek further career advancements. These two will be main factors that set the tone
for the remainder of 2014.
14
Sales & Marketing Professionals

Job Title
Experience
Marketing Director
15+
1.4m - 2m+
VP, Marketing
12+
780K - 1.3m
AVP / Manager Marketing
6 - 10
540K - 720K
Associate / Assistant Marketing Manager
3-5
240K - 480K
Head of Corporate Communications / Affairs
15+
1.3m - 1.8m+
VP, Corporate Communications / Affairs
12+
720K - 1.2m
AVP / Manager Corporate Communications / Affairs
6 - 10
480K - 720K
Associate / Assistant Corporate Communications Manager
3-5
240K - 480K
Head of Events
15+
1.1m - 1.5m+
VP Events
AVP / Manager Events
Event Specialist
12+
6 - 10
3-5
660K - 1m
480K - 600K
240K - 420K
VP Media Relations
6 - 10
720K - 1.3m
Head of Market Research / Business Intelligence
15+
1.2m - 1.7m+
Market Research / Business Intelligence Manager
6 - 10
600K - 900K
Marketing
Commerce & Industry

Job Title
Experience
Vice President / Marketing Director
15+
1M - 1.5M
Associate Director
10+
720K - 1M
Marketing Manager
5 - 10
420K - 720K
Vice President / Director, Distribution
12+
1M - 1.5M
Associate Director, Distribution
10+
720K - 1M
Distribution Manager
6-8
420K - 650K
Vice President / Director, Advertising Sales
12+
800k - 1.2M
Associate Director, Sales
10+
720K - 1M
Sales Manager
8+
480K - 720K
Programming Manager
5-8
390K - 585K
General Manager
15+
1.2M+
Sales Director
12+
700K - 1.2M
Sales Manager
8+
500K - 720K
*Key Account Manager
6-8
390K - 520K
*Assistant Key Account Manager
3-5
260K - 360K
Marketing Director
15+
960K - 1.5M
Marketing Manager
10+
540K - 750K
Assistant Marketing Manager
6-8
455K - 520K
Senior Brand Manager
7 - 10
520K - 650K
Brand Manager
5-8
360K - 480K
Assistant Brand Manager
3-5
300K - 350K
Category Manager
5-8
300K - 420K
Assistant Category Manager
3-5
240K - 300K
Product Manager
5-8
360K - 480K
Assistant Product Manager
3-5
300K - 350K
Trade Marketing Manager
5-8
390K - 520K
Assistant Trade Marketing Manager
3-5
300K - 360K
Broadcasting / Entertainment
* Inclusive of OTE (On Target Earning)
SALES & MARKETING
FMCG
15

Commerce & Industry
Job Title
Experience
Managing Director
15+
2M+
*Head of Sales
15+
1.5M+
*Sales/Business Development Director
10 - 15+
960K - 1.5M
*Sales Manager
6 - 8+
540K - 800K+
*Account Manager
3-5
340K - 450K
Head of Marketing
15+
1.5M+
Marketing Director
10 - 15
1M - 1.5M
Marketing Manager
8+
480K - 720K
6+
350K - 420K
Channel Manager
4-6
300K - 450K
Product Manager
3-5
240K - 400K
Marketing Director
15+
1M - 1.5M
Marketing Manager
6 - 8+
600K - 840K
Corporate Communications Manager
5-8
480K - 720K
Business Development Director
15+
1.2M - 2M
Business Development Manager
6 - 8+
600K - 840K
Business Development/Marketing Executive
3-5
390K - 520K
PR Manager
6 - 8+
420K - 720K
Chief Editor
12+
1M - 1.5M
Editor
3-6
325K - 520K
Circulation Director
15+
800k - 1.2M
Circulation Marketing Manager
6-8
420K - 600K
*Circulation Sales Manager
6-8
420K - 600K
*Advertising Sales Director
15+
1M - 1.2M
*Advertising Sales Manager
6-8
360K - 420K
Client/Customer Service Manager
4-6
390K - 520K
*Account Manager
4-6
325K - 520K
General Manager
15+
1.3M+
*Sales/Business Development Director
10 - 15
1M - 1.5M+
*Business Development Manager
8 - 10
650 - 800K
*Sales Manager
6-8
480K - 660K
*Sales Executive/Sales Engineer
3-
240K - 360K
Marketing/Communications Director
10 - 15
800K - 1.2M
Product Marketing Manager
8 - 10
650K - 750K
Product Marketing Engineer
3-5
240K - 360K
Marketing Manager
6-8
500K - 650K
Marketing Executive
3-5
250K - 420K
Project Manager
6 - 10
520K - 650K
Project Engineer
3-5
325K - 455K
Managing Director
20
1.8M+
Director / Group Account Director
15+
1M - 1.5M
Account Director
6-8
480K - 600K
Account Manager
5+
IT / Telecommunications
Professional Services
Media/Publishing
Industrial & Manufacturing
PR Agency
16
300K - 480K

Commerce & Industry
Job Title
Experience
Head of Marketing
15+
1M - 1.5M
Marketing Manager
10+
480K - 720K
5-8
300K - 420K
Senior Marketing Executive
3-5
216K - 300K
Marketing Executive
1-3
144K - 234K
Brand Manager
7 - 10
360K - 600K
PR Manager
5-8
360K - 540K
Assistant PR Manager
4-6
300K - 400K
Merchandising / Buying Manager
8+
420K - 600K
Digital Marketing Director
10 - 15
1M - 1.5M
Digital Marketing Manager
6 - 10
420K - 680K
CRM Director
10 - 15
900K - 1.3M
CRM Manager
6+
360K - 520K
Category Manager
5-8
320K - 480K
Assistant Category Manager
3-5
240K - 340K
Retail Operations Executive
3-5
216K - 300K
Area Manager
5+
300K - 460K
Store Manager
8+
420K - 580K
Store Supervisor
5+
280K - 420K
Sales Associate
1+
180K - 320K
Group Managing Director
20+
2M+
Managing Director
15+
1.2M - 1.5M
Business Director
12+
960K - 1.2M
Client Services Director
12+
960K - 1.2M
Strategic Planning Director
12+
1M - 1.2M
Group Account Director
10+
650K - 800K
Account Director
6-8
480K - 600K
Account Manager
5+
300K - 480K
Sales Director
15+
1M - 1.2M
Sales Manager
8+
600K - 840K
Marketing Manager
5-8
360K - 480K
Marketing Executive
3-5
200K - 325K
Head of Leasing
15+
1.5M+
Senior Leasing Manager
12 - 15
1M - 1.2M
Leasing Manager
8 - 10
630K - 840K
Assistant Leasing Manager
6-8
410K - 600K
Senior Leasing Officer
3-5
310K - 372K
Head of Marketing/Communications
15+
1.2M+
Marketing/Communications Director
12 - 15
910K - 1.1M
Senior Marketing/Communications Manager
10 - 12
630K - 910K
Marketing/Communications Manager
8 - 10
480K - 600K
Assistant Marketing/Communications Manager
6-8
380K - 420K
Senior Marketing/Communications Officer
3-5
280K - 320K
Retail
Advertising Agency
Online
Property & Real Estate
17

Over the last few months, recruitment activities across Supply Chain and Procurement
functions remained steady. Cost optimisation continues to be the priority for many
businesses. Companies see increasing benefit to relocate certain functions, especially at the
operational level to more cost-effective countries across Southeast Asia. These functions
include shipping, procurement, order processing and warehousing operations. With increasing
pressure to better manage costs, roles related to business operations, process re-engineering
and demand planning are in high demand.
Job seekers with exposure to ERP and SAP projects will also find themselves presented with
attractive opportunities not only in Hong Kong but also across Greater China, Singapore and
Malaysia. In addition, businesses continue to ramp up levels of outsourcing to third party logistics
providers, leading to an increase in hiring particularly across supply chain operations on the 3PL
(third party logistics) side.
The outlook over the next few months is promising where recruitment activity will start to pick up
again towards the middle of Q1 2014. Existing employees will be rewarded with a modest salary
adjustment and candidates who plan on a career change can expect salary increments between 5%
and 7%. Supply chain professionals at the operational level will face uncertainties which will lead to
concerns around job security. They will also see increasing competition as talent across the region
become more specialised.
Managerial level professionals with strong strategic experience will remain cautious yet open to
exploring opportunities that offer a wider scope of responsibilities and regional coverage. As Asia
continues to advance in supply chain technology and infrastructure, companies will further invest
resources and human capital into this region. Factors such as international trade and increase in
domestic consumption in countries like China and India will also create positive impacts to the
job market. Employers and job seekers should be optimistic about the opportunities within supply
chain and logistics over the next 12 months.
18

Commerce & Industry Professionals
Job Title
Experience
Head of Supply Chain
18+
1.2M - 1.6M+
Regional Supply Chain Director/VP
15+
720K - 1M
Supply Chain Director/VP
12+
650K - 910K
Supply Chain Manager
8 - 12
455K - 650K
Assistant Supply Chain Manager
6-8
364K - 455K
Senior Supply/Demand Planner
4-6
350K - 390K
Supply/Demand Planner
3-5
260K - 364K
Head of Logsitics/Warehouse Operations
18+
1.2M - 1.5+
Regional Director/VP
15+
910K - 1.1M
Director/VP
12+
715K - 910K
Regional Manager
7 - 10
520K - 650K
Manager
5-8
350K - 455K
Assistant Manager
3-5
240K - 325K
Senior Officer
2-3
195K - 230K
Head of Procurement
15+
1M - 1.6M+
Director/VP
12+
800K - 1.3M
Senior Manager
10+
600K - 780K
Manager
8 - 10
455K - 590K
Assistant Manager
5-7
300K - 390K
Officer
2-5
234K - 300K
Supply Chain
Logistics / Warehouse / Operations
Procurement/Purchasing
19
TECHNOLOGY
The employment market for information technology (IT) professionals was
relatively stable but conservative with a majority of the roles being replacement
hires. Hiring activity was relatively better across the commercial sector as well
as IT vendors and solution providers but low and slow in the banking and finance
sector. For contracting roles, the hiring activity is quite stable across the commerce
and banking industries, especially towards the end of 2013 and early 2014.
Commerce & Industry
IT servicing companies and telecommunications companies continued to look for network
engineers with in-depth knowledge and experience in security or voice. Available vacancies
were also seen in data centre operation manager and solution architect roles due to the
increased number of data centres in Hong Kong. Cloud computing remained the area of
development and the source of IT companies expansions. To acquire more cloud projects,
IT companies have hired technical consultants and system architects with experience in
cloud, virtualization and data centre. In 2014, this space will continue to be in demand;
technical consultant and solution architects with strong client facing experience will be
desired among IT firms.
In the commerce sector, demand is expected to be in junior to middle level roles, such as
programmers and developers; demand for senior IT professionals such as IT Directors level
will be on a replacement basis in 2014. We also noticed a rising number of retail companies
revamping their point of sale (POS) and ERP systems and publishing companies revamping
their web application systems. This will result in talent with full life cycle implementation
record to continue to be in demand in 2014.
As a whole, commerce industry including IT vendors and solutions providers will have more
roles for new headcounts or strategic hiring to expand their operations in Asia. Particularly
IT servicing companies will be benefitting from more businesses outsourcing their
IT operations.
20
Technology
Commerce & Industry
Job Title
Experience
IT Director/CTO
15+
1.2M - 2.4M
Program Manager
10+
800K - 1.2M
PM
8+
400K-800K
Business Analyst
5-8
300K - 700K
Solutions Architect
10+
600K - 1.4M
Development Manager
8-12
600K - 850K
C++/Java
5-10
200K - 660K
.Net
5-10
200K - 660K
RDBMS developer/DBA
4-10
200K - 660K
Infrastructure Director
10+
1M - 1.8M
Infrastructure Manager
8+
480K - 800K
Infrastructure Architect
8+
720K - 1.2M
Systems administrator
5+
240K - 400K
3rd line support
5+
300K - 500K
Security Director
5+
700K - 1.2M
Security Manager
5+
550K - 900K
Security Architect
5+
500K - 750K
Security Analyst
6-8
240K - 500K
Business Change
Application Development
TECHNOLOGY
Infrastructure
21
TECHNOLOGY
Banking & Financial Services Industry
In the banking sector, the majority of hiring by employers for early 2014 will be for replacement
roles, with contractors being their preferred option. Any increase in recruitment would definitely
be driven by global market and economic conditions. Since banks and financial institutions are
outsourcing their IT functions, IT services providers to the banking and finance sector will have relatively more hiring activities going on. We can predict that they will have openings for developers,
software engineers, helpdesk engineers, IT specialists and infrastructure analysts in 2014.
IT talent can expect 3-6% salary increment in 2014 within their current companies and between
15-20% when changing jobs. The bonus is the equivalent of one to two months salary. We have
witnessed companies also willing to counter offer and pay extra 10-15% to retain their IT talent if
their skillsets are difficult to replace in the market or the person is working on a critical project. Due
to the high demand in project management and programming skills, employers should have a more
flexible budget to offer competitive salary packages to retain or attract more talent.
22
Technology
Job Title
Experience
IT Director (ED MD)
15+
1.8M - 2.4M
Program Manager (VP-D)
15+
900K - 1.5M
PM (AVP-VP)
10-15
600K - 900K
Business Analyst (AVP-VP)
6-15
500K - 750K
Solutions Architect (VP-SVP)
12-18
700K - 1.2M
Development Manager (VP-SVP)
10-15
700K - 1M
C++/Java
6-15
240K - 720K
.Net
6-15
240K - 720K
RDBMS developer/DBA
6-15
240K - 720K
Infrastructure Director (ED-MD)
15+
1.5M - 2.4M
Infrastructure Manager (SVP-ED)
10-15
900K - 1.5M
Infrastructure Architect (VP-SVP)
6-15
600K - 1M
Systems administrator
4-8
400K - 600K
3rd line support
5-10
350K - 550K
Trading systems support
6-15
400K - 850K
Security Director (SVP-ED)
15+
900K - 1.5M
Security Manager (VP-SVP)
8-15
600K - 1M
Security Architect (VP-SVP)
4-8
600K - 1M
Security Analyst
4-10
240K - 400K
Business Change
Application Development
Infrastructure
Notes to salary tables:

1. Titles and levels vary from organisation to organisation.
2. The salary ranges given are only approximate guides. For tailored salary advice, please contact us
directly.
3. 12 month base salaries are assumed.
4. All other benefits and bonuses are in addition to these figures.
5. Bonus ranges can vary significantly from company to company and will be influenced by market
conditions, business and individual performances. Bonus ranges from 1 month at the low end to
100%+ at the upper.
6. Holiday entitlements range from 12 - 25 days with senior executives not usually receiving less than
18 days. Less than 15 is very rare and 20 days is becoming the norm.
7. Healthcare policies are standard.
8. Pension plans vary with some companies offering greater than the standard contribution. Top up
schemes can increase employer contribution levels as much as 15-20 percent of the base salary for
senior executives.
9. * Inclusive of OTE (On Target Earning)
23
24
HONG KONG EMPLOYEE SURVEY RESULTS
25
ABOUT AMBITION
Ambition is a leading global boutique recruitment business listed on the
Australian Securities Exchange. With coverage across Hong Kong, Singapore,
Japan, Malaysia, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and London we specialise
within the areas of Banking & Financial Services, Finance & Accounting,
Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain & Procurement, and Technology.
We are best known for specialisation with in-depth knowledge and expertise,
well-established networks and deep relationships.
What makes us different

We believe our size is a significant differentiator in the recruitment industry. We are
big enough to undertake large scale projects for our clients, yet small enough to
retain the soul and personality of a smaller company.
We work relentlessly to reinforce our purpose and culture and believe passionately
that no one in the company is too small to make a difference.
As a global boutique recruitment business, our offices are extremely closely
connected. Our management structure is geared towards facilitating communication
between offices and our processes and technology go further to support this
connection. Ultimately, this means we are well placed to source the hardest to find
candidates and to extend client relationships to our international office network.
For more information, please visit www.ambition.com.hk
Get Social
Ambition are committed to driving innovation and have a strong social media
presence allowing us to interact and engage through videos, whitepapers, surveys,
webinars, trends and blogs via LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
28
NOTES
29
NOTES
30
TOMORROW
STARTS
TODAY
BUILDING
BETTER
FUTURES.
Hong Kong
Level 25, 28 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong
T:+852 3101 3066 F: +852 3101 3068
www.ambition.com.hk
32

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MARKET

Ambition Market Trends & Salary Report 1H 2014 Hong Kong

Sales & Marketing

Supply Chain & Procurement

Hong Kong Employee Survey Results

Hong Kong Employer Survey Results

Ambition Market Trends & Salary Report 1H 2014 Hong Kong

The second half of 2013 was somewhat

Ambition Market Trends & Salary Report 1H 2014 Hong Kong

Banking & FinancIAL SERVICES

BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICES

Salary / Bonus Expectations

Ambition Market Trends & Salary Report 1H 2014 Hong Kong

Banking & Financial Services

Annual salary range (HK$)

Assistant Vice President

Country Chief Financial Officer

Assistant Vice President

Management Reporting / FP & A

Assistant Vice President

Assistant Vice President

Assistant Vice President

Banking & Financial Services

Annual salary range (HK$)

Operations (Settlements / Corporate Actions / Treasury)

Middle Office (Trade Support / Sales Support / Client Services)

Assistant Vice President

Assistant Vice President

Assistant Vice President

Assistant Vice President

Operational Risk / Internal Control

Assistant Vice President

Ambition Market Trends & Salary Report 1H 2014 Hong Kong

Banking & Financial Services

Annual salary range (HK$)

Officer / Senior Officer

Regulatory Reporting / Financial Accounting

Officer / Senior Officer

Management Reporting / FP & A

Officer / Senior Officer

Internal Audit / Risk

Officer / Senior Officer

Banking & Financial Services

Annual salary range (HK$)

Officer / Senior Officer

Regulatory Reporting / Financial Accounting

Officer / Senior Officer

Management Reporting / FP & A

Officer / Senior Officer

Internal Audit / Risk

Officer / Senior Officer

Officer / Senior Officer

Ambition Market Trends & Salary Report 1H 2014 Hong Kong

FINANCE & ACCOUNTING

Finance & Accounting Professionals

Annual salary range (HK$)

Senior Audit Manager

Internal Audit Manager

Regional Financial Controller

Finance / Accounting Manager

Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable Accountant

Manager - Management Accounting

Senior Management Accountant

Head of Planning & Analysis