The former executive director for civil service workforce reform in the Cabinet Office, William Hague, last month became chief people officer at HM Revenue and Customs.
Christine Hewitt, interim HR director at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, is to become HR director at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in November.
Christian Cubitt, chief press officer at the Cabinet Office, is moving to the Ministry of Justice to become head of news on 14 October.
Sir David Higgins, chief executive at Network Rail, is to become the new HS2 chair from January 2014, replacing Doug Oakervee, who has been in the post since April 2012. Higgins has previously worked as chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority.
Matthew Bailes has been announced as the new executive director of regulation at the Homes and Communities Agency (see interview, p9). He is already working in the role on secondment from the communities department, and will take up the job permanently from 1 November.
David Thomas, commercial director at HMRC, has resigned from his post with effect from December.
David Jephson, who is retired but works part-time as crown representative, has resigned.