Former city councillor and NDP MLA Bob Hawkesworth will earn $150,000 a year as executive director of the McDougall Centre in Calgary, which serves as the southern Alberta premier's office.

Hawkesworth's contract continues until the end of 2019, said John Archer, media officer with the premier's office. Hawkesworth started his new job Monday.

Hawkesworth was a Calgary NDP MLA from 1986 to 1993. He was the NDP candidate in the Calgary-Foothills byelection on Sept. 3, won by Prasad Panda of the Wildrose Party.

Wildrose accountability critic Jason Nixon slammed Hawkesworth's appointment "as a political reward for a failed candidate."

Hawkesworth is one of two political staffers at the McDougall Centre. Marcella Munro was hired in July as the communications and stakeholder relations manager. She earns $130,000 a year.

Archer said Hawkesworth is being paid the same as other directors. He voluntarily suspended collection of his MLA pension for the length of his contract, Archer added.

Hawkesworth's predecessor, Emma May, was hired by former premier Jim Prentice last fall.

May initially earned $175,000 a year, but her pay was rolled back to $166,250 on Apr. 1 after Prentice cut the pay of all his political staff by five per cent.

May left her job after Prentice and the Progressive Conservatives were swept out of power May 5.

Twelve non-political staffers work at the McDougall Centre along with Hawkesworth and Munro. They include sheriffs, cleaning staff and employees of Alberta Infrastructure.