David Hill was appointed Director General for Strategy and Water at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 24 June 2024. He was previously Director-General Environment from October 2020 to June 2024 and interim Director-General Environment Rural and Marine from December 2019 to October 2020. Before that, he was Director of Environmental Quality in Defra . He has held senior roles at Essex County Council, and within central government leading on apprenticeship reform at DfE , and communications and strategy at DCLG . He has served as Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and as Private Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister.