Cost-cutters in Whitehall use headhunter to find an IT boss

The Efficiency and Reform Group is using Odgers Berndtson - described on its website as "the UK's top executive headhunter" - in its search for a deputy government chief information officer.

The £120,000-a-year post, which will help deliver "more efficient, cost-effective" IT systems for Whitehall, is being advertised despite a Civil Service recruitment freeze.

The job specification also mentions a possible £12,500 bonus at a time when thousands of civil servants have seen salaries capped and pay awards slashed.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett, who uncovered the use of the headhunters, said: "People will find it ridiculous that the new official will not only receive a salary higher than that of many government ministers, they could also receive a bonus from taxpayers worth £12,500."

The Efficiency and Reform Group, based in the Cabinet Office, is charged with making government more efficient and "radically reforming" the way public services are delivered.

The Government is seeking a new deputy IT chief as the current holder of the post, Bill McCluggage, is leaving for a role in the private sector. It is a three-year post with 30 days' annual holiday and 10.5 "public and privilege days".

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "Spend on consultancy firms, including recruitment consultants, has been slashed by 70 per cent since 2009-10.

"There is a freeze on civil service recruitment, and clamping down on numbers of temporary agency staff in the civil service has already saved taxpayers £490 million.

"We are more open about these costs than ever before - the numbers of temporary staff and how much they cost are published online for all to see. This data shows that costs are going down.

"This role is critically important for government and will contribute to our cost savings, so it is vital we find the right person for the job."