The Obama campaign says a former senior White House official is joining President Barack Obama's re-election team.

Jennifer Psaki (SAH'-kee) will start work as Obama's traveling press secretary in July. Psaki started working for Obama during his 2008 campaign and served in the White House, rising to the post of deputy communications director.

Psaki left the White House in September to work for a public relations firm in Washington. A campaign official says she will take leave from the firm while working for the campaign.

The official says the campaign always planned to add a traveling press secretary to the staff when the president stepped up his re-election effort.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the personnel move had not been officially announced.