Former council boss beats mandarins to Whitehall’s top job

He will take up the new role in January alongside his current job as permanent secretary of the Department of Communities and Local Government.

The post has been created after Prime Minister David Cameron decided to split the role from that of the Cabinet Secretary when Sir Gus O’Donnell retires. Sir Bob will work alongside new Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood.

Sir Bob, 56, has enjoyed a rapid rise since leaving Sheffield in 2008, having first been chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency quango before becoming top civil servant at the Department of Communities and Local Government in November 2010. His promotion sees him leapfrog a number of long-serving Whitehall mandarins.

Mr Cameron said Sir Bob has “a wealth of experience in both central and local government” gained from 20 years of public service.

Sir Bob said he was “delighted and honoured” and added: “We have immense strengths in the service that we should be justly proud of, but we must also embrace change. I want to engage all parts of the civil service in the reform process.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, has known Sir Bob for many years.

Mr Clegg said: “These are challenging times for public servants, but I know that Bob will lead the civil service with clarity, determination and pace. I look forward to working closely with him.”

Home Office Permanent Secretary Dame Helen Ghosh, who is reported to have applied for the post, was lambasted by MPs on Monday for her performance during five years in charge at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs during chaos at the Rural Payments Agency.