The director of the Office for Civil Society has been appointed interim chief executive of the National Lottery Community Fund.
David Knott joined the grant-maker on a 12-month secondment as a senior adviser in October.
John Rose had been interim chief executive of the fund since Dawn Austwick stepped down at the end of the year, but has returned to his substantive role as director for Wales.
A spokesperson for the NLCF said the change had been made because the interim arrangement had to be extended, but Rose needed to return to his former post after a new chair for Wales was appointed.
Asked how long Knott was expected to be in post, the spokesperson said he would continue the role “while we conclude our search for a permanent chief executive”.
Knott has been director of the OCS since being promoted from deputy director in 2017, and remains listed as director on the OCS on its website.
He said: “I will focus on putting communities first, helping ensure the fund is ready to emerge from the pandemic and provide the much-needed support to people and communities across the UK.”
The spokesperson said further details on the recruitment process would be made available soon.