Six posts have been created to help run Tendring Council's new regeneration company.
The jobs - programme manager, two project managers, a planning consultant, planning solicitor and external funding officer - will take an annual £309,000 out of INTend's £1.26 million budget.
Successful candidates will deliver the council's Project Tendring, with schemes to include changing rooms at Clacton County High School and a grant to Tendring Citizens Advice.
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Company chairman, David Lines, explained that the new roles are for three-years.
"We could have taken the money and split it up into lots of different projects, but £1.26 million spread across 60 wards would not go very far," he said.
"About a third of public spending is in the hands of quangos who will not give grants to councils.
"This way we will have access to millions of pounds worth of grants."
The company has courted controversy since its founding was announced.
One councillor who has been opposed to the plans from the beginning is Conservative Peter Halliday, who represents the St John's ward.
He said: "I'm not happy that the money has been completely invested in jobs - it doesn't seem a good move to me.
"I also think that the regeneration department is doing a great job as it is, we just don't need a company to take it on.
"I'm worried that any future money that Tendring receives will have the INTend tag on it and take the credit away from the council."
Some concern has also been expressed by residents that there is no guarantee of a return from their tax money.
But Mr Lines said: "Hopefully residents will see money coming into the district by the back end of this year - we need to give the new staff a chance to get their feet under the table.
"We are not going boldly where no council has gone before - Basildon has done it, so has Southend.
"We're also using the experience of other organisations like the Walton Forum and Harwich Connexions.
"We have organised our troops at base camp at Mount Everest but now we need to get up the mountain."
The new posts are featured on the company's new website, in-tend.org, which was launched yesterday.
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