Warriors go for Gold
The 49-year-old will take on the role initially until the end of the season.
The former Bath, London Irish and Newcastle boss, 49, fills the gap left by Dean Ryan's exit last year.
Worcester sit just one point above Premiership basement club Bristol, who occupy the division's single relegation slot.
"The opportunity to return to the Premiership to oversee such an exciting project is something which hugely appeals to me and I am looking forward to getting started," Gold said in a statement.
"There are nine Premiership games remaining this season and the hard work has already begun as we look to rise to the challenge and ensure the rest of the season is a success."
Gold's most recent role was with South African Super Rugby franchise the Sharks.
"Gary is highly regarded in the global game," said Worcester Chief Executive Jim O'Toole.
"We believe that working with head coach Carl Hogg and his coaching team, he will take us in the right direction for the rest of this campaign to achieve the obvious goal of improving our league position."
Gold has extensive experience at the highest level of the game, having worked with some of the leading teams in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
He joined the South Africa international set-up as assistant coach in 2008, working closely with the forwards during a three-year spell which saw his country beat the British & Irish Lions and win the Tri-Nations in 2009.
Gold began his coaching career in 2001 as forwards coach at London Irish before stepping up to head coach in 2003 for two years.
A stint as head coach with Western Province followed before he became the Stormers' Technical Director and then assistant coach in Super Rugby.
After three years with South Africa, Gold had an interim spell at Newcastle Falcons. He then joined Bath as Director of Rugby in May 2012 before taking up the same role at Durban-based Super Rugby side the Sharks in 2014.
* Meanwhile the Worcester also revealed that Ryan Grant has left Glasgow Warriors to join English Premiership side.
Grant has spent seven years in Glasgow earning 25 Scotland caps in the process.
The 31-year-old was called up to the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in 2013.
The loosehead prop has made 109 appearances for the Warriors, scoring seven tries, and was a member of the squad which won the Guinness Pro12 title in 2015.
"I've had a lot of good times at Glasgow and made a lot of friends," Ryan Grant said.
"Winning the Guinness Pro12 was huge, the back-to-back wins against Ulster in the lead up to the final were also a highlight for me.
"I wouldn't have ever played for Scotland or been selected for the Lions had it not been for Glasgow Warriors.
"I owe a great deal to the club and the coaches, Sean Lineen, Shade Munro, Gregor Townsend and Dan McFarland. The success in my career are down to the things I have learned and the experiences I've had at Glasgow.
"I'll always have a spot for Glasgow in my heart. Some of my best friends still play for this club and as far as I'm concerned when I look back at my career I'll always be a Glasgow Warrior.
"A change in circumstances and a change in surroundings might be what I need to get back to my best again."
It has also been confirmed that tight-head prop Sila Puafisi will leave the club at the end of the season to join French club Brive.
To date the Tonga international has played 34 times in his two years at Scotstoun, having joined from Gloucester in 2015.
Elsewhere, tighthead prop Jarrod Firth has departed to join a club in France and United States international back row forward Langilangi Haupeakui has returned to the US for family reasons.
