Christchurch recruitment firm Sheffield has been engaged for the search, with applications open until April 29.
Former chief executive Sharon Mason left the council in February, after resigning in December to take up the top job at The City of Onkaparinga in South Australia. In her place, the council appointed Steve Gibling as interim chief executive.
Mason’s salary was $374,000, but the next chief executive will be paid around $330,000, which is Gibling’s salary, depending on experience.
The job listing highlights rebuilding and maintaining the confidence of elected members and the community as a key priority.
Mayor Lydia Gliddon said last year’s election result made it clear public trust had been eroded.
“That’s why we have that in there; it’s not about an individual or something that has happened. It’s just that we know we have a big programme of work to rebuild trust with our community, and the chief executive plays a big role in that too.”
Other priorities for the role include shifting from reactive decision-making to more planned, disciplined growth management, and strengthening financial oversight and value for money within a rates-constrained environment.
The chief executive is the only position directly employed by the mayor and councillors.
Gibling declined to say whether he would apply for the role, telling Selwyn Times it would be “inappropriate to comment at this stage”.
Gliddon said she could not disclose the cost of the recruitment process due to commercial sensitivity.
“We’ve negotiated a sharp, cost-effective arrangement for this work to ensure good value for our ratepayers.”
She said recruitment costs covered key steps to attract and assess the right candidates, such as advertising, screening, shortlisting, reference checks and interview support.
Gliddon said there may be extra cost for travel for the recruitment and psychometric testing.
