Corporate Services provides a diverse range of important services, some directly to the public and others which are crucial to the running of this large organisation. As Director, Jim is responsible for much of the Council’s professional support services including legal, HR, ICT and communications, as well as developing policy and ensuring the smooth running of the corporate and political elements of the Council. He works closely with the Chief Executive and other members of the CMT to ensure that the Council and its partners continue to provide excellent public services in a rapidly changing environment.
With a budget of £113m, around 2,600 office based staff and over 1,500 staff in our commercial trading organisations, Jim is responsible for:
- the human resource service for the Council’s workforce of over 19,000 staff
- the Council’s communication service, which co-ordinates all internal and external communications, including the production of the Council’s Outlook newsletter, delivered to 227,000 homes in Edinburgh
- ensuring the Council’s partnership with BT delivers essential IT services to over 18,000 computers across approximately 120 Council offices and facilities
- the customer contact centre, which deals with 1.5 million enquiries a year
- managing the Council’s democratic business and decision making processes, providing key support to elected members
- strategic policy development and implementation for the Council
- legal services, including issuing a range of licenses, generating over £3 million per annum for Council funds
- the registration of births, deaths and marriages in the city
- the Council’s print and reprographic services
- overseeing the Council’s relationship with Edinburgh Leisure, the Council trust which manages twenty sports centres and swimming pools, six golf courses, five bowling greens, the Meadows tennis complex, Port Edgar marina and the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena on behalf of the Council
- managing the Council’s twelve museums, galleries and monuments, which draw over 600,000 visitors per annum, as well as cultural venues such as the Usher Hall, Assembly Rooms and Church Hill Theatre, which between them hold around 300 events every year
- providing over 14,000 meals every school day in the Council’s schools as well as running catering services for commercial lets and staff use
- employing over 900 cleaners across approximately 400 buildings, ranging from schools to crematoria
- providing essential passenger transport for people in need as well as supporting the general transport requirements of the organisation
- fleet maintenance of nearly 1,000 Council vehicles and plant items
Jim is also the Council’s designated Monitoring Officer, responsible for reporting to Council, where appropriate, on matters where actions or omissions of the Council, committees or sub-committees or officers contravene any legislation or code of practice.
Personal profile
- Educated in Edinburgh where he obtained a degree in Business Economics.
- Following a period working in the private sector, he joined local government in 1973 and held a number of positions before becoming Head of Personnel and Management Services for the City of Edinburgh Council in 1996.
- In 2002 appointed Director of Corporate Services for the City of Edinburgh Council.
- He is also a fellow of the Institute of Management Services.
Director of Corporate Services Current salary (2009/10)
£120,513
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