NI Civil Service: Jenny Pyper announced as new interim chief

Former Utility Regulator chief executive Jenny Pyper will take charge of the Northern Ireland Civil Service on an interim basis, the NI executive has announced.

Her appointment has been approved by the first and deputy first ministers.

Ms Pyper will occupy the position for eight months from 1 December.

The post has remained vacant since the former head of the NI Civil Service, David Sterling, stepped down at the end of August.

Three candidates were interviewed for the position, which has a salary of more than £188,000, but they were unsuccessful.

Ms Pyper will spearhead the new Covid-19 task force, which will be involved in the roll-out of the vaccination and mass testing programmes.

A joint statement issued by the first and deputy first minister said: "We are pleased to announce that Jenny Pyper will be the interim head of the civil service.

"She will take up post at a critical time as the executive continues to manage its response to, and recovery from, the coronavirus pandemic and prepares for the end of the EU exit transition period.

"This includes addressing immediate health, societal and economic challenges as well as planning for the future and putting us in the best possible place to rebuild our economy, rejuvenate our society and transform our public services."

The executive says "work is under way" to find a permanent civil service chief and a recruitment campaign "will be launched in due course."

Ms Pyper said she was "delighted and honoured" to be appointed.

"I am proud to have been a civil servant for over 28 years and I will do all I can to further develop a high-performing, outcomes-focused and inclusive NICS that supports the institutions of government and makes a real and positive difference in people's lives," she said.

Ms Pyper spent seven years as chief executive of the Utility Regulator, before announcing her decision to step down in February.

She agreed to stay on until the autumn to allow her successors to be found.

During her time in the post, the new cross-border wholesale electricity market, worth more than £2bn, went live and Ms Pyper also oversaw the expansion of the natural gas network across Northern Ireland.

At the time of her departure, she was praised for "transforming the organisation into a more outward looking and collaborative regulator".

A graduate of Queen's University, Ms Pyper has held many senior roles within the civil service and previously worked with First Minister Arlene Foster during her time in charge of the Department of Enterprise.

As director of energy policy in the late 2000s, Ms Pyper was involved at the very outset of policy formation around support for renewable heat in NI.

She also held senior positions in the Department for Regional Development and the Department for Social Development.

In her previous post as Utility Regulator chief executive, Ms Pyper had a staff of 80 - in her new job she will have a workforce of more than 22,000 and will be responsible for a budget in excess of £20bn.