Pay award pending for new £131,956 Borders council chief

by DOUG COLLIE

Scottish Borders Council has launched a high-powered campaign in its quest to attract a new chief executive who will receive up to £132,000 on taking up the top job, with a further pay award in the pipeline.

The local council has engaged specialists Solace in Business - part of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives organisation - as recruiters following the sudden departure in June of Netta Meadows who had held the best paid job in the Scottish Borders for only 15 months.

After Ms Meadows left office, the local government 'trade' paper The Municipal Journal reported in August that she had submitted a grievance to her former employers. The nature of that grievance remained a mystery, and the local authority has made no public statement on the issue.

Candidates who may be interested in applying for the job can find full details on a special website which includes a description of the role and material relating to the council's aims and objectives.

The CEO job advert - the deadline for applications is December 12th - is one of more than 60 current vacancies listed on SBC's own 'Jobs' website.

The accompanying blurb states: 

"A DESTINATION WITH A GREAT DEAL TO OFFER

It’s easy to be inspired by your surroundings in the Scottish Borders. Stunning rural landscapes provide an idyllic backdrop to a quality of life offer that’s second to none. But look more closely, and you’ll find that there is a lot more going on.

Our proximity to the key hubs of Edinburgh and Newcastle means we are incredibly well-connected. But it also places us at the fulcrum of three ambitious regional growth programmes: The South of Scotland Economic Partnership; The Edinburgh South East Scotland City Deal; and The Borderlands Partnership. We are hugely ambitious for what this means to our communities, and we will look to our new Chief Executive to play a central role in maximising these opportunities.

The Borders is a place of immense potential – we want to see it flourish. That’s why we are looking for someone who can represent and advocate for the council on the regional and national stage; and an organisational leader who can build from within – supporting and developing staff to excel, and building our capacity to deliver the best for our residents."

And according to the designated web pages: "The Borders is a place of immense potential, much of which is untapped. It offers a stunning natural environment and a great quality of life, all set within an enviable strategic location with great connections to both sides of the border. As a Council we are both confident and ambitious in our plans, and we will want our new Chief Executive to be someone who shares this enthusiasm and sense of purpose.

"It's important that whoever takes on this role can be an influential advocate for the Borders; someone who can quickly build trust and confidence with our partners. And we are looking for an inspirational and empathetic organisational leader, who will commit themselves to supporting and developing staff, enabling their talent to flourish and enhancing our capacity to achieve great things for our community."

The latest version of the Council Plan, approved by elected members in February 2022 identifies six outcomes which the authority is "working towards, five of which are focused on the wellbeing of citizens within the Scottish Borders and making our region a more sustainable and better place to live, work in and to visit."

The job advert explains that the sixth is internally focused, ensuring that as an organisation, the Council is effective and efficient, which is vital to ensure the successful delivery of the other five outcomes.

"Our six outcomes:

1. Clean, green future
2. Fulfilling our potential
3. Strong inclusive economy, transport and infrastructure
4. Empowered, vibrant communities
5. Good health and wellbeing
6. Working together - improving lives

 As an involved partner in three key economic partnerships the Council is a committed and effective advocate for Scottish Borders, ensuring we draw on all of the resources and funding available to use to grow the local economy, create better opportunities for our residents, and promote our area as an investment destination. These three initiatives ensure access to major funding streams that have the potential to see hundreds of millions pounds invested in the Borders."

For the past few months the vacant role has been filled by David Robertson, SBC's chief financial officer who currently has the title Acting Chief Executive.