undersecretary

noun (often initial capital letters)

1. an official who is subordinate to a principal secretary, as in the U.S. cabinet: Under Secretary of the Treasury.

noun plural -taries

1. (in Britain)
   1. any of various senior civil servants in certain government departments
   2. short for undersecretary of state: any of various high officials subordinate only to the minister in charge of a department
2. (in the US) a high government official subordinate only to the secretary in charge of a department