The council is holding a round of meetings to find people to fill senior positions after a recruitment drive with big wages on offer.

Salaries of up to £155,000 are advertised, so far the authority has confirmed two roles have been filled but the vital job of director of finance is proving problematic.

Sources close to the process say only one applicant was deemed suitable for interview but not recruited, which means it is almost certain a third interim appointment will be required when the current temporary director, Clive Heaphey, moves on.

Balvinder Heran, Dudley Council’s chief executive, said: “We are in the middle of a complete redesign of senior roles to build on improvements we are making at the council.

“The ongoing recruitment to senior roles is well underway and confirmation will be given at full council on 19th June 2025.”

The council has confirmed the appointment of a permanent director of legal/monitoring officer and a director of children and young people.

The children’s director role is at the moment held by an interim post holder, understood to be covering for the current interim chief of children’s services who is on leave.

Ms Heran said: “The council is legally required to have a statutory director for children’s services for continuity of provision and to ensure the welfare and safety of our children and young people during this time.”

At the time of writing six top jobs at the council were being advertised; for directors of social care and well-being, economy and infrastructure, core business, neighbourhoods, development and regulation plus housing and homelessness.

A total of five more meetings of the council’s appointments committee, which interviews and hires people for senior roles, are scheduled in June.

A meeting of the committee on June 11 will consider the appointment of a group director for housing and assets, details of which jobs are to be discussed at subsequent meetings are yet to be published.