Assistant Director (Plant Health Risk)

About the role

Pakistan Single Window (PSW) is recruiting on behalf of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA), which is being set up to strengthen Pakistan's agri-trade ecosystem through stronger regulatory oversight, facilitation and modernisation of food safety and trade processes. The selected candidate will join NAFSA's foundational team, helping build its systems, processes and institutional capabilities, and will support the Deputy Director Plant-Risk.

Key responsibilities

• Support the Deputy Director Plant-Risk in carrying out assigned functions.
• Support pest risk assessment (PRA) by collecting, cleaning and organising datasets on surveillance, interceptions, pest distribution and trade pathways.
• Carry out technical analysis for PRA, including literature review and compiling evidence for hazard identification and pathway assessment.
• Draft sections of PRA documents, technical notes and briefing material under the supervision of the Deputy Director.
• Maintain pest risk databases, pest lists and reference documentation to support assessments and regulatory decisions.
• Coordinate with provincial departments and laboratories to obtain field and diagnostic evidence for PRA.
• Help prepare presentations and submissions for internal peer review and Scientific Committee deliberations.
• Monitor global pest alerts, SPS notifications and scientific updates relevant to plant health risk.
• Keep documentation, version control and records for all risk assessment outputs.
• Perform other duties assigned by the reporting officer.

Required profile

• Minimum sixteen years of education (BSc. Honours) in Agriculture, specialising in Entomology, Plant Protection, Plant Pathology, Weeds Science or a related discipline, from an institution recognised by HEC.
• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in plant protection, quarantine, pest surveillance or SPS-related analytical work; fresh or entry-level candidates with strong PRA exposure may be considered.
• Ability to analyse scientific information and turn it into structured regulatory documentation.
• Strong interpersonal skills for coordinating with field and laboratory stakeholders.

Required skills

• Proficiency in computer applications (MS Office; database and spreadsheet handling).
• Strong technical writing skills.