Director (Surveillance, Diagnostics, Business Registration & Coordination)

This position is being recruited by Pakistan Single Window (PSW) on behalf of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA), a strategic national initiative aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s agri-trade ecosystem. NAFSA focuses on enhancing regulatory oversight, facilitating trade, and modernizing food safety and trade processes. The selected candidate will join NAFSA’s foundational team and play a key role in developing systems, processes, and institutional capabilities to support these objectives.

Key Responsibilities

- Provide strategic leadership and oversight for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) surveillance, diagnostic systems, business registration frameworks, and regulatory coordination across relevant sectors.
- Ensure the establishment and maintenance of national pest and disease surveillance and early warning systems aligned with international standards.
- Oversee diagnostic laboratory networks to guarantee quality, standardization, and reliability of diagnostic services and results.
- Manage the implementation of business registration and approval systems for regulated operators and facilities as per official notifications.
- Facilitate structured coordination between surveillance, diagnostics, International Trade Control (ITC) operations, and market access divisions through effective information exchange and joint planning.
- Review and endorse surveillance reports, pest and disease status declarations, and regulatory recommendations to support higher-level decision-making.
- Advise NAFSA leadership on emerging biosecurity risks, diagnostic gaps, and systemic vulnerabilities, proposing corrective actions as necessary.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting mechanisms for surveillance coverage, diagnostic turnaround times, compliance monitoring, and registration system performance.
- Perform additional duties as assigned by the reporting officer to support NAFSA’s mandate.

Required Qualifications

- M.Sc. (Hons.) or MPhil degree (minimum eighteen years of education) in Agriculture (specializing in Plant Protection, Entomology, Plant Pathology, or Weed Science), Veterinary Sciences, Epidemiology, Public Health, or a related discipline.
- At least 12 years of relevant experience in surveillance, diagnostics, biosecurity, regulatory operations, or related management roles.
- Strong understanding of surveillance system design, diagnostics quality systems, and regulatory coordination requirements.
- Demonstrated leadership abilities, integrity, and effective stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

- Proven experience in managing multidisciplinary teams.
- Research publications in Higher Education Commission (HEC)-recognized journals are preferred.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute significantly to the development and operationalization of Pakistan’s agri-trade and food safety framework, working within a pioneering national authority. The successful candidate will be instrumental in shaping regulatory and operational standards that support sustainable trade and biosecurity.

Applications are being managed through Pakistan Single Window on behalf of NAFSA.