Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has been without a director of finance since the summer
A Northern Ireland council has been operating without a director of finance for a significant period of time.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) says it currently has over 20 vacant posts it is aiming to fill, including one of its top paid jobs.
The key role of director of finance and corporate services with an upper wage of over £97k will have taken almost a year for the council to replace since a leave of notice was handed in to the chief executive.
A LCCC spokesperson said: "The director of finance and corporate services role has been vacant since the summer, and the council has undertaken two recruitment campaigns to secure the strongest possible leadership for this key position.
“We are pleased to confirm that a new director has been appointed and will take up the role in the new year. “In the meantime, the responsibilities of the post have been managed through a planned redistribution of duties among senior colleagues, ensuring continuity and stability across our corporate services.”
The LDRS understands that LCCC was given notice that the director of finance and corporate services would be leaving the post from March 2025 and had then left office in June. It is also understood that the new director will not take up the position until March 2026. Meanwhile, the local authority states that its current vacancies are “lower than the sector average”. A LCCC spokesperson added: "The council currently has 21 posts moving through the advertising or selection stages as part of our ongoing commitment to attract high-calibre professionals to support the delivery of excellent services for our community.”