Northumberland County Council is set to appoint a new director of workforce and organisational development as the revamp of the authority's top team continues.
Council leader Glen Sanderson has spoken repeatedly about his desire to bring in a new team of officers to replace the long-standing interim arrangements at the council.
Expensive interim staff were blamed last year when think-tank the Taxpayer's Alliance revealed the council was paying 20 officers more than £100,000 a year - the highest of any in the North East.
Read more: Rural fire stations in Northumberland facing challenges to recruit enough on-call firefighters
At Thursday's meeting of the council's staff and appointments committee, members were told that the as-yet unidentified candidate had been subject to a rigorous procedure involving new chief executive Dr Helen Paterson as well as leading councillors.
HR consultant Steve Crosland told members that two "high quality" candidates had been shortlisted for the position, and that the preferred candidate had indicated they would be willing to accept the council's job offer.
He also said that the new officer would receive a salary of £96,000 a year.
A report presented to members explained that this was an appointment at the level below the executive director posts. As such, the appointment would not have to be approved by full council.
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