The Scottish Rugby Union have confirmed that Scott Johnson is to remain at Murrayfield on a permanent basis.

The Australian, who has spent the last five months as the national team's interim head coach, will become the SRU's first director of rugby since Ian McGeechan stood down from the role in 2005. He effectively replaces Graham Lowe, the director of performance, who quit that post late last year.

It had become increasingly obvious in recent weeks that Johnson's influence had become extensive and that he and the administrators were simply working out the parameters of the role he was to take on.

On his first public outing as Edinburgh's new managing director, David Davies had described the extent to which he was consulting with Johnson as well as Mark Dodson, the SRU's chief executive, while earlier this week Jonathan Humphreys, the recently-appointed forwards coach, stated he was looking forward to renewing his acquaintance with Johnson, under whom he had worked at the Ospreys for a number of years.

The post Johnson is taking on may have been officially in abeyance for a long time but it was described as "absolutely integral to Scotland's standing on the world stage in the next decade and beyond", in a statement released from the Scottish game's headquarters yesterday.

It will now be Johnson's responsibility to implement the strategy put in place by the organisation last year which targeted winning the Rugby World Cup in 2015 and, rather more realistically in the eyes of most observers, winning the Six Nations Championship by 2016.

Among his first priorities will be to replace himself as what is described as a "worldwide search" for a new head coach continues. Johnson will continue as head coach for this summer's tour of South Africa and will continue to have involvement with the Scotland team through the 2015 Rugby World Cup and beyond.

Dodson, who is said to have been working with Johnson for some time to assemble the required coaching talent for both the national team and Edinburgh, said yesterday: "It's imperative we get the right candidate as head coach to take us to the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Scott and I are working together on this and have thought long and hard about the best solution and people for Scottish Rugby to continue to head in the right direction.

"Johnno has been a popular coach with the players, as underlined by our third-place finish in the RBS 6 Nations. He enjoys hands-on coaching, and his reputation in that role has been enhanced by his work with the Scotland team, but he also has other qualities in abundance that we wish to utilise and it was a decision that was made by both parties to get the best structures and systems in place to take Scottish rugby forward.

"The director of rugby is a hugely important appointment, one that is absolutely integral to Scotland's standing on the world stage in the next decade and beyond . . . Scott will lead on player acquisition and contracting. He'll be responsible for driving a new academy structure and for heading up our coach development, which includes our priority of nurturing the next generation of Scottish coaches who can operate at elite level."

Johnson said he was delighted to be appointed and excited by the role. "It's about making a really positive contribution that will stand Scottish Rugby in good stead for years to come and I am looking forward to the challenge of the new role as well as continuing with the Scotland team."