The appointment comes after the previous Conservative deputy, Irvine South’s councillor Matthew Mclean, jumped ship to join the Reform party in November.
Conservative Group leader councillor Cameron Inglis said: “Councillor Scott Gallacher will be an excellent depute leader for the Scottish Conservative group at North Ayrshire Council.
“He is a very experienced councillor having served seven and a half years as councillor for Irvine West.
“This experience will help in making decisions and leading the party forward over the next few months during the budget process, with which there is a large gap within the council’s finances.”
Cllr Inglis was appointed Conservative group leader last summer when veteran North Coast councillor Tom Marshall stepped down from the role.
The defection of Cllr McLean and Ardrossan’s councillor Stewart Ferguson to Reform UK left the North Ayrshire Conservatives with just six elected members.
After the 2022 local authority elections, the Tories took 10 seats and formed the official opposition party to the ruling SNP, who won 12.
But last year saw the Conservative Party lose two by-elections in the area to the Labour party. The first followed the death of Kilwinning Conservative councillor John Glover and the second followed the resignation of Arran Conservative councillor Timothy Billings.
The current council is made up of 12 SNP members, 11 Labour, six Conservatives, two Reform UK and two independents.
The next North Ayrshire Council election is scheduled to take place in just over two years’ time, in May 2027.