Philip John Rycroft CB (born 22 May 1961) is a British civil servant who served as the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union from 2017 to 2019.

He then worked as Head of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department for a year before being promoted to be the Director-General for Education at the Executive in 2007, during which time it became the Scottish Government.

[4] In 2016, Rycroft moved to the new Department for Exiting the European Union as its Second Permanent Secretary, whilst retaining his role heading the UK Governance Group.

[2] In October 2017, when Olly Robbins was moved to Brussels to personally negotiate with the European Commission, Rycroft became the Permanent Secretary.

[1] In the New Year Honours for 2014, Rycroft was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, "For services to the UK's Devolved and Coalition Governments".