Cash-strapped Cumbria County Council is creating a new top job with an annual salary of more than £126,000. 

The authority, which has to make massive multi-million pound savings, is looking for a new corporate director to take responsibility for “resources and transformation”. 

Council chiefs say they need an extra boss at this top level to meet the “increasing challenges” faced. 

Diane Wood, chief executive, said the authority had stripped back its senior management in recent years, saving hundreds of thousands of pounds. 

But she said an extra post was now needed. 

Councillor Stewart Young, council leader, said getting rid of the equivalent post had been a mistake, prompting the recruitment. 

The job is only being advertised internally but recruitment could go external if a suitable candidate does not come forward. 

Cumbria County Council confirmed its chief officer panel had agreed to recruit, saying it did so following careful consideration. 

The post-holder will be directly responsible for areas including finance, business service, governance and “transformation”, where they will deal with changes brought about by cuts. 

Mrs Wood said: “Since the introduction of our current structure in March 2015, it has become apparent that there is a need to build further capacity at corporate director level to meet the increasing challenges faced by the council. 

“Over the last few years we have significantly reduced the council’s senior management team. 

“Only a few years ago we had six corporate directors and an extensive head of service management layer. 

“We have since reduced this management layer and driven out savings in the region of £780,000. 

“However, while these savings have been essential, I have always been clear that we would monitor the impact of management changes in light of increased and changing demands.” 

She added: “I now believe that additional senior management capacity is required to provide the right leadership and focus to help us continue on our journey of transformation. 

“This is key to helping us implement change and achieve better service delivery and further significant savings in the future.” 

The job advert says the successful candidate must be able to demonstrate the leadership and focus required to “drive the journey of transformation”. 

Cllr Young said this post was taken out of the structure after Mrs Wood, the person holding the equivalent job, became chief executive.

“Over the last 12 months we’ve decided that was a mistake for a number of reasons,” he added. 

“We are having to make all these savings because we get less money. But it involves more work while we are doing it. 

“Our experience in the floods showed we had a lack of capacity at the top of the organisation. 

“People were completely stretched. There are some things only the senior staff can do.” 

He said there were other changes planned for the authority that had “huge financial and resource implications”. 

On the salary,  Cllr Young admitted it was “a lot of money”. 

But he added: “That is a salary for the corporate director. 

“It’s a big job. We won’t get people at that level unless we offer that salary.” 

Anita Timperon, Cumbria branch secretary at the public service workers’ union Unison, spoke about the recruitment. 

She said: “The council is in a very, very difficult situation. 

“It’s faced with having to make enormous cuts because of the government’s austerity. 

“The council did reduce at that very senior level quite significantly. It probably was a cut too far."

But she added it was also a difficult time for frontline staff. 

“A lot of people are working above and beyond their contracted hours regularly,” she said.