Council chiefs have begun the search for a new chief executive in South Ayrshire.
Bosses are advertising for the position after Eileen Howat confirmed her intention to stand down in the autumn. The role will boast a bumper salary of £145,789 for a 35-hour working week.
Ms Howat, who will retire after 10 years in the council's top job, has left the council to launch a recruitment drive over the summer months. And they are now officially advertising for the gig.
Their plea on job sites calls for "an exceptional leader who has the vision, passion and drive to become our next Chief Executive." They are also asking for "an analytical thinker, with the ability to deliver tangible results and drive the strategic change agenda, with a focus on demonstrating innovation and ambition to help us to achieve our ambitions for South Ayrshire Council."
The council say they want someone with "a background of transforming services, a determination to ensure year-on-year improvements, the financial acumen to deliver efficiencies, and the ability to work with partners to achieve joint goals."
They also want "a politically aware, decisive decision-maker" who will be "an outstanding collaborative leader with excellent people and empowerment skills, with the energy and passion to operate effectively and motivate staff to create a high-performance organisational culture."
Ms Howat announced her decision to stand down a fortnight ago, following a career in local government which has spanned almost 40 years.
Paying tribute to her efforts, current South Ayrshire leader Martin Dowey said: "When I first became Leader of the Council, Eileen's help was invaluable. She was able to guide me through the role and I knew that no matter what transpired, she would be there to provide some expert advice.
"I know Eileen has not taken this decision lightly and I have no doubt she will be missed, not only by myself and the administration, but by a huge number of people both inside and outside the Council."
Applications for the role of new chief executive are open until Tuesday, June 13 with the selection process kicking off the following week.
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