UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 24, 2007
                                                         ----------------

                       PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
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             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

     Delaware                        001-31566                   42-1547151
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(State or Other Jurisdiction)  (Commission File No.)         (I.R.S. Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)


830 Bergen Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey                       07306-4599
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                         (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (201) 333-1000
                                                     --------------

                                 Not Applicable
                                 --------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[  ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities
      Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[  ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange
      Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under
      the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under
      the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item  5.02   Departure of Directors or Certain Officers;  Election of Directors;
Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

     The Provident  Bank (the "Bank"),  the  principal  operating  subsidiary of
Provident Financial Services,  Inc. (the "Company"),  has appointed  Christopher
Martin as Chief Operating  Officer,  effective January 24, 2007. Mr. Martin will
continue to serve as the Bank's President.

     Mr. Martin, age 50, joined the Bank in July 2004 as President following the
acquisition  of First  Savings Bank. He was appointed a director of the Bank and
the Company in 2005. He had served as President and Chief  Executive  Officer of
both First Sentinel Bancorp, Inc. and First Savings Bank since January 2003, and
as President since 2002.

     Mr. Martin is employed  pursuant to the terms of an  employment  agreement,
the material terms of which are disclosed in the Company's proxy statement dated
March 23, 2006. The  employment  agreement has not been modified or amended as a
result of Mr. Martin's appointment as Chief Operating Officer.

     There are no  transactions  that are required to be  disclosed  pursuant to
Item 404(a) of SEC Regulation S-K.

     Prior to this appointment, Kevin J. Ward served as the Bank's Vice Chairman
and Chief  Operating  Officer.  Mr. Ward will  continue in an executive  officer
capacity as Vice  Chairman.  The terms of Mr. Ward's  employment  agreement were
modified to reflect this change in title.



Item 9.01.   Financial Statements and Exhibits
             ---------------------------------

(a)      Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired.  Not applicable

(b)      Pro Forma Financial Information.  Not applicable

(c)      Shell company transactions.  Not applicable

(d)      Exhibits.  Not applicable




                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                             PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.



DATE: January 30, 2007                  By:  /s/ Paul M. Pantozzi
                                             ----------------------------------
                                             Paul M. Pantozzi
                                             Chairman and
                                             Chief Executive Officer