Rachel, you joined Brunel Singapore in December 2011. Tell us more about your initial roles.
I joined Brunel Singapore as a recruitment administrator. I was responsible for supporting the team in processing CVs. At the time, there was no automation, and everything was done manually, including transforming CVs into the client's preferred format. After three months, my manager recognized my potential and offered me an opportunity to work in operations. In this new role, I was responsible for managing employment contracts and visas for the Perth office, collaborating with colleagues in Australia despite being based in Singapore. In 2014, my responsibilities grew as Brunel’s operations expanded into new countries, including China, Papua New Guinea, South Korea and Japan. While managing multiple countries at once was challenging and stressful, it was also interesting and fulfilling.
You continued doing that for nine years and then decided to leave Brunel in early 2021.
That's correct. I was presented with an opportunity to work for one of the big four as an immigration consultant, which was very tempting for me. Even though I was based in Singapore, I did not have any prior experience with Singaporean immigration laws, so I saw this as an opportunity to gain valuable experience and work with the Ministry of Manpower. Additionally, I was hoping that this experience would open new doors for me in the future. Little did I know that it would indeed lead to new opportunities – or should I say an old opportunity! In the same year, I heard that Brunel was looking for a new operations manager for the Singapore market. I reached out to them, and they were happy to take me back. This new position allowed me to utilize my new-found knowledge of immigration and build on my previous operations experience at Brunel.
We’re happy to have you back on board! What are your responsibilities as an operations manager?
As a manager, my focus has shifted from operational tasks to managing a team of ten people responsible for handling the countries mentioned above (excluding China and Papua New Guinea), as well as Vietnam and Taiwan, which were added recently. My primary responsibility is to ensure that my team is happy, motivated and not overworked. This includes addressing any concerns they may have and finding solutions to issues that arise. I have been fortunate to have had great mentors by my side throughout my career at Brunel, and I aspire to be a great mentor to my own team as well. In addition to managing my team, I also work closely with other departments and senior management to ensure that we are meeting our business objectives and delivering high-quality services to our clients and contractors.
