Ala. Code § 29-5B-3: Director, Staff, and Employees.

(a) The affairs of the commission shall be administered by the director, whose actions shall be supervised and controlled by the Legislative Committee on the Evaluation of Services. The director shall be selected and appointed by the committee and shall receive compensation and benefits in an amount established by the committee, payable in the same manner as is provided for other state employees.

(b) A vacancy in the office of director arising from any cause shall be filled by the committee. The committee may appoint a highly qualified individual as its director to a nonmerit, conditional appointment. The director, with the consent and approval of the committee, shall select and supervise professional and clerical staff upon a full-time or part-time basis as necessary to assist the committee and the director in performing the duties assigned by this chapter. The director, without regard to the state Merit System Act, may hire employees as necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter. The number of employees, their compensation, and other expenditures of the committee shall be within the limits and in compliance with the appropriation made therefor by the Legislature and within budgets that shall be approved from time to time by the commission.