EFFORTS to recruit for one of the most senior council jobs in Devon have been hampered amid the uncertain future for local government.

Angie Sinclair, Devon County Council’s director of finance, is due to retire at the end of March, but a process to hire a replacement for the oversight of its roughly £2 billion annual budget has resulted in the council having to opt for an interim solution.

The major uncertainty around local government reorganisation – the process by which Devon’s current 11 councils will be merged into fewer, larger unitary councils – has created a lack of clarity for anyone considering working at a council.

While the council did secure applicants for the role, and made an offer to one candidate, appointment terms couldn’t be reached.

This has meant that Devon’s chief executive, Donna Manson, has had to harness constitutional powers that allow her to appoint someone to the role on an interim basis without the need for approval by councillors.

Ms Manson said Matthew Thorpe, who is deputy to Ms Sinclair, would take the finance director role from 1 March for a period of 12 months.

Benchmarking data shows the prospective salary for the role – £129,348 – is below that of peers in Cornwall and Dorset but higher than Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole), Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire.

Devon’s appointments, remuneration and chief officer conduct committee heard that an executive search agency had said that only a small field of candidates would be appropriately qualified to take on the position, and that “unless there is a substantial change to what is on offer, that DCC would be unlikely to be able to attract any different or additional applications”.

“Local government reorganisation provides both uncertainty and opportunity,” a report before the committee said.

“In the immediate short term, until a decision has been made about which model has been selected, the uncertainty is unlikely to encourage applications.

“However, in the longer term, should the single Devon unitary model be selected, the size of this being one of the largest in the country, would potentially be very attractive to candidates.”

Maria Price, director of legal and democratic services, told the committee that Mr Thorpe had been a “longstanding deputy”, and that Ms Manson and council leader, Councillor Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge) and the finance portfolio holder, Councillor James Buczkowski (Liberal Democrat, Cullompton), supported the move.

“This decision means we are committed to a 12-month period, but if we were to recruit again, we need to be aware that is roughly a six-month process once you take into account advertising the role, interviewing, confirming appointments and then the successful candidate’s notice period,” Ms Price said.

“We’ll get through the next six months and see where we are then.”

Cllr Brazil, who chairs the appointments and remuneration committee that was asked to note Ms Manson’s appointment, said he was “delighted Matthew had decided to take up the challenge”.

The deputy role that will be left vacant by Mr Thorpe’s promotion may be advertised and back-filled, something the council thought would be “an easier level of post to fill”.