South Ayrshire Council recruiting high flyers

Dec 11 2009 by Edwin Lawrence, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A SKINT council aims to recruit NINE highly paid managers.

And the annual salary bill for the posts will be around £500,000.

South Ayrshire Council was forced to cut jobs and services in its last budget.

And the council has warned the public to expect more of the same.

But that hasn’t stopped it advertising for top managerial talent.

The advert proclaims: “The council is fully committed to delivering services that work and outcomes which transcend traditional barriers.”

The advert says the council wants ‘successful, ambitious professionals’, capable of ‘unleashing ideas’.

The posts South Ayrshire is seeking to fill, with annual salaries, are:

* Head of legal and administration, £73, 623,

* Manager, children and families, £54,312 – £55,918.

* Manager, strategic service planning, £54,312 – £55,918.

* Manager, adult services, £47,450 – £48,873.

* Manager, older people’s services, £47,450 – £48, 873.

* Manager, community learning and development, £54, 312 – £55, 918.

* Manager, community engagement, £47,450 – £48, 873.

* Manager, sports, leisure, libraries, arts and culture – £47,450 – £48,873.

* Facilities manager, £51,118 – £52,669.

A council spokesman explained: “We are transforming this council to ensure we have the best structures in place to face head-on the challenges of delivering quality services to our local communities with limited resources and this will continue to evolve as we work to ensure that our organisation is fit for purpose both now and over the coming years.

“However, the right structure is only part of the solution.

“This organisation is all about our employees and we need the right people with the right skills, experience, knowledge and ideas to help ensure we continue to invest in our services and our communities in a meaningful way that genuinely makes a difference for our residents.

“These new managerial posts – which are all focused on improving and supporting our wide range of frontline services – will be a key element in achieving that.

“There is a lot of work to be done and that’s why these posts are needed as we continue to work towards our vision of establishing South Ayrshire as the most dynamic, inclusive and sustainable community in Scotland.”