Shiplee, most recently an executive director at construction firm Laing O’Rourke Group, will take up the post in mid-May. He will become the senior responsible officer for implementing Universal Credit, reporting directly to permanent secretary Robert Devereux.
He will take over from David Pitchford, head of the Major Projects Authority, who has been running Universal Credit on an interim basis since February 2013.
Shiplee has worked on a number of large development projects including building a new terminal at Manchester airport and redeveloping Ascot racecourse.
The department has also confirmed that Terry Moran, formerly chief operation officer at the department and SRO for Universal Credit, is to retire from the civil service. Moran has been on sick leave since late last year.
In a letter to DWP staff permanent secretary Robert Devereux praised Moran as “an inspiration to his colleagues, and especially those working on the delivery side”.
“In addition to his considerable abilities and boundless commitment, he is someone who retained his human touch and his humility regardless of how senior he became,” said Devereux.
Moran joined the civil service as an administrative assistant in the Department of Health and Social Security in 1977 and has held senior roles in a number of large delivery organisations including chief executive of the Pension, Disability and Carers Service. He was appointed Chief operation officer and second permanent secretary at the DWP in 2011