Council to look outwith isles for new infrastructure director

The council is to advertise nationally for a new director of infrastructure services after deciding against giving the post to Gordon Greenhill, who had been executive director of infrastructure services under the previous management set up.

The SIC will also try to recruit a director of corporate services from outwith the authority, chief executive Alistair Buchan announced today.

However three senior managers have been appointed to new posts: Helen Budge, former head of the schools service, will become director of children’s services; Christine Ferguson, head of community care, will be the director of community care services; and Neil Grant, head of development, is to be director of development services.

The appointments are part of the council’s management restructuring which is designed to slim down the number of senior managers and save the authority around £500,000-a-year.

On Friday Mr Buchan confirmed that depute chief executive Hazel Sutherland is to leave the authority along with seven other senior staff, although she will remain in post meantime.

Mr Buchan said today: “I look forward to welcoming Helen, Christine and Neil to the council’s new corporate management team. I am delighted that three of our senior managers have successfully gained these posts following a rigorous recruitment process, and am confident that other council managers will follow them in attaining positions in the restructured council.”

Leader of the council, Josie Simpson, also welcomed the appointments. He said: “It’s great to see three of our internal candidates achieving their goals in this way. It was a very challenging process and I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved, applicants, councillors and the external recruitment specialists who supported the candidates and advised the council. ”

Mr Greenhill, who was interviewed for the new post, joined the council in October 2008 after taking early retirement from Edinburgh City Council earlier that year. He has overseen the Ports for the Future process designed to reduce costs in the council’s harbour operations.