The council chose recruitment agency Sheffield South Island to support the appointment process and ensure there would be a wide and high-quality pool of candidates, Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker said.
Incumbent Sandy Graham has not said if she will apply and could not be reached for comment last night.
Ms Graham was appointed chief executive in 2020 and had an initial five-year contract.
The council last year extended this by a year and the extension is due to expire in October this year.
The council chose not to go to the market last year, but is this year required to do so.
Sheffield is not unknown to the council or Ms Graham.
When Ms Graham made headlines in 2024 over insulting language to describe councillors, she said she had ‘‘fallen into bad habits’’ and would be participating in a 360-degree survey to ensure she achieved improvements.
Council minutes said Louise Green, of Sheffield, was engaged to undertake such a survey, and she was asked questions at a councillor-only confidential meeting in April last year.
The Otago Daily Times has asked the council whether this makes any difference to the recruitment process.
The council indicated it could respond to the query today.
Ms Barker said Dunedin was at a pivotal point in its development.
‘‘We are focused on long-term sustainability, delivering high-quality services for our residents, and preparing our city for the future,’’ she said.
‘‘The role of chief executive is central to this work.’’
