The Charity Commission is recruiting for a new chief operating officer after Tracey Newman resigned last month after just four months due to personal reasons.

Newman joined the Commission in April as part of the Commission’s new treasury-funded change programme. The role involved having the responsibility for the Commission’s registration function, operational casework, First Contact function, website and internal IT systems.

The programme followed an £8m ‘invest to save’ award from the Treasury to deliver new digital services to make it easier for charities to interact with the commission.

An advertisement for the new role will appear this weekend.

In the interim period Paula Sussex, chief executive of the Charity Commission, is leading the directorate supported by the directorate's senior management team, which includes its newly appointed head of operations, David Holdsworth.

A Commission spokeswoman said: “We are confident that, with the support of the Commission's board, directors and staff, we will maintain the momentum of change in our operations directorate, aimed at increasing the Commission's efficiency and effectiveness.”

Newman has 20 years of experience in senior roles in the mobile telecommunications industry, and previously worked for the Ombudsman Services as director of dispute resolution.