The Federal Government has welcomed top civil servant, Ben Rimmer, as part of its efforts to revamp the nation's higher education sector. 

Rimmer, who was CEO of Melbourne Council and a deputy secretary in the prime minister's department during the Rudd and Gillard governments, has been appointed deputy secretary in the Education Department. 

He will be part of an expert panel tasked with developing a new strategy for higher education, which is facing several challenges, including demands from students for relevant courses for the digital era, a decline in postgraduate enrolments, and a need to attract international students. 

The expert panel will be led by former New South Wales chief scientist Mary O’Kane and aims to develop an accord for the sector. This will include initiatives to increase equity and access for minorities, a key priority of Education Minister Jason Clare. 

Rimmer's return to Canberra is part of the Australian government's wider policy of rebuilding lost capability across the public service, with senior appointments now being regularly advertised and recruited professionally. 

Rimmer's appointment has been welcomed by Renée Leon, vice-chancellor of Charles Sturt University and president of the Institute of Public Administration Australia,.

“It is good that a strategic thinker like Ben Rimmer is coming in at a time when the education portfolio is about to be grappling with serious strategic issues for higher ed, which haven’t been grappled with for some years,” she said. 

Rimmer's academic background is strong, with a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University and an MBA from the Saïd school of business. 

He also spent time in the Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation, managed by the Jawun Indigenous partnership, and was chairman of the Australian Youth Orchestra for six years. 

Other high-level appointments in the public service have been made recently, including former Melbourne University vice-chancellor Glyn Davis and Infrastructure secretary Jim Betts, as part of the government's efforts to bring in more talent and rebuild its strategic capability.