The Chief Executive is the council's head of the paid service, and chief policy adviser. He heads the Chief Officer's Executive, which is the officer managerial board including all the departmental Chief Officers.
Chief Officers have a strategic role, advising councillors on their areas of particular expertise, and contributing to the overall leadership of the council; and also a managerial role, ensuring that the services they are responsible for focus on delivering excellent customer service, and making the most effective use of departmental resources to achieve that goal.