Carlita O’Brien has been announced as the head of the Bermuda Government’s new Department of Employee and Organisational Development.

Ms O’Brien will formally take up the post of Chief Employee and Organisational Development Officer on March 9, according to Derrick Binns, the Head of the Public Service.

The department, first announced in December 2018, will create a central human resources service for the Government, and is to take over the role of the previous Department of Human Resources.

Ms O’Brien’s public service career began in July 1997.

She has held the position of Director of Human Resources in the Department of Human Resources since January 2006.

Ms O’Brien holds a Master of Arts Degree in Personnel Management and has achieved the professional designation of Chartered Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

She is also a professional member of the Society for Human Resource Management, and the Bermuda Human Resource Association.

Ms O’Brien has chaired union negotiations on the Government’s behalf, and leads a team of HR practitioners in implementing new human resources services.

She is the Secretary to the Public Service Commission and Secretary to the Public Service Superannuation Board.

Ms O’Brien is also the chairwoman of the Joint Grading Panel, which reviews and sets the pay scales for government employees.

Dr Binns said the movement of staff into the new Department of Employee and Organisational Development would be carried out over the next 18 to 24 months with no job losses.

The move is aimed at increasing efficiency and eliminating duplication of roles.

Dr Binns said the Management Consulting Services section and the Compensation and Benefits section had already moved to the new department.

He added: “Ms O’Brien is committed to transforming the Public Service’s human resource function and has played an integral role in her capacity as director by originating the initiative to centralise the human resources functions.

“She was an essential part of the team that developed and will implement the new HR operational model.”

He congratulated Ms O’Brien and said that with her appointment, the “implementation of a modern human resources operating model will serve the organisation’s business needs as we move closer to our vision of a future-forward Government for the people of Bermuda”.