hatchet man
[noun]
Synonyms: assassin, bravo, cutthroat, gun, gunman, gunsel, gunslinger, hit man, torpedo, triggerman

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

ˈhatchet ˌman noun [countable] informal
someone who is employed to make unpopular changes in an organization

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

hatchet man
[informal]
someone who is employed by an organization to make changes that people do not like.
The hatchet man is called in whenever a company needs to reduce its staff.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

hatchet man
n., colloquial
1. A politician or newspaper columnist whose job is to write and say unfavorable things about the opposition.
Bill Lerner is the hatchet man for the Mayor's Party; he smears all the other candidates regularly.
2. An executive officer in a firm whose job it is to fire superfluous personnel, cut back on the budget, etc., in short, to do the necessary but unpleasant things.
The firm hired Cranhart to be hatchet man; his title is that of Executive Vice President.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲