The senior NSW bureaucrat who appointed former deputy premier John Barilaro to a high-paying overseas job has resigned from the public service.

Trade Department secretary, and former Investment NSW boss, Amy Brown was found to have been indirectly influenced to preference Mr Barilaro for the job despite a range of other highly-credentialed candidates.

“After close to a decade working for the NSW Government, my tenure has come to an end,” Ms Brown posted on Sunday on LinkedIn.

“I am exploring new opportunities in the private sector and hope to make an announcement about that soon.”

Ms Brown was named in an independent review into the appointment of Mr Barilaro to a $500,000-a-year, taxpayer-funded US trade job, released last month.

The review, conducted by former NSW public services commissioner Graeme Head, found Ms Brown had been indirectly influenced by then-trade minister Stuart Ayres’ preference for who should get the New York-based role.

Mr Ayres resigned as minister earlier in August after a draft excerpt from the Head review raised questions about whether he breached the ministerial code of conduct with his involvement.

The review found Mr Barilaro’s appointment was not kept at arm’s length from government.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has said the appointment process was “flawed from the outset”.

Ms Brown’s future was cast into doubt in August, despite her leaving Investment NSW to distance herself from the scandal.

Mr Barilaro relinquished the job in June, just weeks after being appointed US trade commissioner, saying the job was untenable after becoming a “distraction”.

The appointment triggered two separate inquiries, plunging the Perrottet government into months of turmoil as the merits of the process were scrutinised.

– AAP

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