Ken Gourlay
Chief Executive

The Chief Executive, Ken Gourlay, is the most senior paid position in the council, leading a staff of 17,500. He has ultimate responsibility for the council delivering over 500 key services to the people of Fife and managing our annual revenue and capital budget of over £1 billion.

The education of our children, looking after our environment, creating jobs, providing housing, keeping communities safe, supporting Fife’s vulnerable residents and providing sport and leisure opportunities – these and all other council services contribute to us enjoying a better quality of life. And it’s the Chief Executive’s job to continually improve how these services are provided within the budget approved by the Council. The Chief Executive is also the lead officer in the event of any major emergency.

Key facts about the council's top job

Here are some details about the role of Chief Executive of Fife Council:

Salary

The salary for the Chief Executive post is currently £162,258. All Scottish Chief Executives in local government have salaries set nationally through COSLA.

Performance review

All employees, including the Chief Executive, go through regular performance reviews. For the Chief Executive, these meetings are with the Council Leader and Depute Leader. The Chief Executive also chooses to share his own improvement objectives with his management team of five Executive Directors.

Expenses

The Chief Executive is able to reclaim some business-related expenses. This includes, for example, out-of-pocket expenses for travelling to and from meetings to represent the Council’s interests.

Restrictions

By law, the Chief Executive and all senior Council employees cannot take part in any party political activity. Their job means that they have to advise councillors objectively and professionally, no matter what political party a councillor belongs to.

Annual Leave

The Chief Executive receives 27 days per annum. As with all employees, there are also twelve public holidays; eight of these are designated by the Council, and four are flexible.

Pension

As with all Council employees, the Chief Executive has the opportunity to be a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme. This is a contributory scheme, which means that employees contribute between 5.5% to 10.8% of their salary, and the Council contributes 17.6%. The Council contributes the same percentage amount for all employees regardless of their role.

Contact details:

Ken Gourlay
Chief Executive
Fife House
North Street
Glenrothes
KY7 5LT