Prime Minister Mark Carney is reshuffling his senior staff at his office in Ottawa. Maia Johnson, who advises on relations with the United States, will take on a new title: chief operating officer. She will keep her current job while adding this responsibility.

Johnson has worked with Carney since before he was Prime Minister, going back to when he managed climate finance for the United Nations.

Several other people are moving into new roles. Scott Gilmore, who handles foreign policy and defence, will become principal secretary—a top position in the Prime Minister's office. Tim Krupa, the director of policy, becomes a deputy chief of staff and the chief economist. Jennifer McIntyre, who recently worked at Immigration Canada on international crises, joins the office as a deputy chief of staff focused on international affairs.

Two people are leaving. Tom Pitfield, who was the principal secretary, was appointed to the Senate. Braeden Caley, a deputy chief of staff, announced he is stepping down to run for a Liberal nomination in his local area. The Prime Minister's office has not officially announced these changes.

Creating a chief operating officer job in the Prime Minister's office is unusual. Most Canadian prime ministers have used a simpler structure of three main roles: chief of staff, principal secretary, and deputy chief of staff. Adding a fourth role while keeping Johnson focused on the United States suggests the Prime Minister wants someone to manage how the office runs day-to-day, without taking her away from handling what remains the office's most demanding file—the trade disputes with the United States.

Gilmore's move to principal secretary fills the opening left by Pitfield's departure to the Senate. It also keeps someone with deep expertise in defence and international relations near the Prime Minister at a time when Canada is dealing with NATO, Arctic security concerns, and a complicated relationship with Washington all at once. Krupa's new job brings economic and policy analysis closer to the centre of decision-making.

Caley's departure follows a pattern—PMO staff sometimes leave to run for elected office. McIntyre's move is less common: she is coming from the federal public service into a political staff role, which doesn't happen as often as the reverse.

Because the Prime Minister's office hasn't formally announced all the details, some questions remain unclear—such as exactly when these changes take effect and whether Caley's old job will be filled.