PROVIDENCE — Beverly Najarian, director of the state Department of Administration, confirmed yesterday that she plans to leave her job overseeing all of state government’s staffing and purchasing.

The news comes two days after Governor Carcieri withdrew her nomination on the eve of a Senate committee reconfirmation vote. At the time, Najarian refused to comment on the governor’s decision.

Speaking on yesterday’s John DePetro Show on WPRO (630-AM), Najarian said she decided long ago to leave her job.

“In all honesty, a year ago December I had made a decision that I did not want to continue in this particular office. I had served here four years, I loved the job, but I wanted to play another role,” said Najarian, who is paid $113,631 a year. “Since that time, two of my key lieutenants, Brian Stern went to work as [the governor’s] chief of staff, Jerry Williams went to DOT. Therefore there was not a viable candidate. Either one of those gentlemen could have assumed my position.

“In the meantime I’ve been continuing to serve in this role but always with the intention that I was going to move out to a new and different role.”

Najarian, who did not return a phone call seeking comment, said on the radio that her transfer to another job is “very imminent.”

“Within a week at the most I think that official notice will come out in terms of who’s going to be playing what role,” she said. “I’m going to be moving on to the governor’s staff in a senior adviser capacity.”

The governor’s spokesman, Jeff Neal, refused to comment on who might fill Najarian’s position, or when the move might take place.

Najarian became a central figure last year in the Senate Government Oversight Committee’s high-profile investigation of the Carcieri administration’s use of private staffing firms. The Senate panel produced a report earlier in the week that concluded, “The committee cannot make a determination as to whether the incompetence was due to ignorance, or arrogant and willful violation of the law.”

Najarian said the report and Senate confirmation hearing had nothing to do with her decision to leave.

speoples@projo.com