The senior Stormont official who is regarded as one of the key witnesses in the forthcoming RHI inquiry has been appointed interim head of the regional civil service.
David Sterling, who was permanent secretary at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Deti) when it launched the botched renewables scheme in 2011, will succeed Sir Malcolm McKibbin with immediate effect.
Mr Sterling's predecessor will meanwhile focus his attention on chairing the faltering Stormont talks.
Sir Malcolm had been due to retire earlier this year but postponed his departure due to recent political upheaval.
He will now officially retire at the end of this month – just as the talks reach their conclusion on June 29.
Mr Sterling's appointment will be on an interim basis until a new Stormont executive is in place, whereupon his job will either be made permanent or ministers will choose to rerun the recruitment competition.
The Press Association reported that Mr Sterling was selected to take on the interim role because he came out on top in the recruitment competition's merit assessment.
As Department of Finance permanent secretary, Mr Sterling took control of Stormont's finances in March, because no budget was in place.
One issue that had prevented Sir Malcolm leaving the stage was the fact that two of the men vying to succeed him, Mr Sterling and Department for the Economy permanent secretary Andrew McCormick, were both under scrutiny for their role in helping oversee the flawed RHI scheme.
Both senior civil servants, who served under Arlene Foster at Deti, will be key witnesses in the forthcoming public inquiry into the RHI, which is expected to begin its hearings in the autumn.
"There are many challenges for the civil service and I look forward to working closely with colleagues across all the departments to continue to deliver essential services for the people of Northern Ireland," said Mr Sterling.
"I will obviously be working very closely with Sir Malcolm over the next few weeks."
In the absence of a devolved administration, Mr Sterling has been in control of Stormont's purse strings in recent months.
He will remain in charge of the Department of Finance until July, when he will decide how best to fill that role.
Sir Malcolm said the regional civil service was in the midst of "unique times" where officials were offering support to Stormont's main parties and the two governments in the talks process.
"In the face of these unusual circumstances, making this temporary appointment allows me to concentrate fully on my role in the talks and for David to discharge the significant responsibilities of the post," he said.
