Second Permanent Secretary and Group Chief Operating Officer

Nick Joicey

Biography

Nick was appointed Defra group Chief Operating Officer and Second Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 17 July 2023.

Prior to this he had been Director General, Economic and Domestic Secretariat at the Cabinet Office from September 2022 to July 2023. He was previously the Director General, Finance at the Department for Work and Pensions from July 2018 to September 2022. Prior to this, he was Director General for Strategy, EU Exit and Finance in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), having taken up the position of DG for Strategy, International, Food and Farming there in 2014. He was also Head of the Policy Profession in Defra, and a member of the Department’s Supervisory Board.

Nick has also held roles including Director for International Finance at the Treasury, leading the Treasury’s European teams and has been seconded to Washington DC at the UK delegation to the IMF.

Previous roles in government

  • Director General, Economic and Domestic Secretariat
    • 2022 to 2023
  • Director General, Finance
    • 2018 to 2022
  • Director General for Strategy, Europe and Finance
    • 2014 to 2018