THE City of Edinburgh Council has caused a stir as it seeks a new chief executive whose £200,000 salary will see them earn more than the Prime Minister.
The council listed the job late last month in a follow-up to a similarly advertised role over in Glasgow just two weeks earlier.
Glasgow City Council faced backlash online after advertising the same role for up to £209,000 a year, with Scots branding it “scandalous”.
Now, Scotland’s capital city is seeking the same position but will require the successful candidate to stretch to working an extra hour per week more than their Glaswegian counterpart at 36 hours.
The job listing was spotted online by eagle-eyed Scots who have been left scratching their head at the advertised salary and hours again.
The salary is advertised as between £191,413 – £200,617 per year and will require the position holder to work four hours less than an average work week.
The successful candidate will become the second highest paid Council staff member in the country behind Glasgow City Council’s chief exec.
This will see them earn more than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and First Minister Humza Yousaf and appears to be a bump in salary compared to current Edinburgh Council boss Andrew Kerr, who is estimated to earn around £175,000 per year.
The role, which will earn the successful jobseeker nearly £10,000 a month after tax, comes as the local authority struggles with its budget.
Health and social care is the responsibility of Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB) which is funded jointly by the city council and NHS Lothian.
The chief officer Pat Togher warned in February of a £67m budget shortfall, which will have a “huge impact” on services.
The council has put £11m towards reducing the shortfall, but there are expected to be massive cuts when the board meets to set its budget next month.
Cuts totalling £33m were also made last year to Edinburgh’s health and social care budget amid a crisis in funding and staffing essential services for the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The job advert was shared to social media by one puzzled Scot who wrote: “[Edinburgh] City Council recruiting a new chief executive: £200k salary.
“I know it’s a big job with a lot of responsibility but paying £191k-£200k seems excessive to me.”
The post quickly received dozens of comments from enraged locals who flocked to vent their anger.
One user said: “I always wonder how true it is that high salaries attract the most talented people.
“It feels like a huge assumption that people who are paid very well in the private sector are actually the most talented and that it’s those type of people we want running public bodies.
“I couldn’t find any research on it but I’d be really interested in some.”
Another added: “If they can find someone who’s not a total clown like the rest of them then it’ll be worth it.”
A third joked: “I’ll do it.”
Another wrote: “Anecdotal, but a friend swears that failing upwards is absolutely a thing in large organisations. A lot of people in senior positions just aren’t all that.”
