Director (Surveillance, Diagnostics, Business Registration & Coordination)

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 as a national initiative to strengthen Pakistan's agri-trade ecosystem through better regulation, facilitation and modernisation of food safety and trade processes. Reporting to the Deputy Director General (Operations), the Director coordinates and drives consistent, risk-based implementation of NAFSA's operational functions across directorates and field formations, supports operational planning and performance management, standardises SOPs and service delivery, coordinates cross-agency interfaces at points of entry and exit, and feeds operational feedback back to SAPW for continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for SPS surveillance, diagnostic systems, business registration frameworks and regulatory coordination.
• Ensure national pest and disease surveillance and early warning systems are established and maintained in line with international standards.
• Oversee diagnostic laboratory networks and ensure quality, standardisation and reliability of diagnostic services and results.
• Oversee implementation of business registration and approval systems for regulated operators and facilities.
• Coordinate surveillance, diagnostics, ITC operations and market access divisions through information exchange and joint planning.
• Review and endorse surveillance reports, pest and disease status declarations and regulatory recommendations for higher-level decisions.
• Advise NAFSA leadership on emerging biosecurity risks, diagnostic gaps and systemic vulnerabilities, proposing corrective actions.
• Set KPIs and reporting mechanisms for surveillance coverage, diagnostic turnaround, compliance monitoring and registration performance.

Required profile

• M.Sc. (Hons.) / MPhil (minimum eighteen years) in Agriculture (plant protection, entomology, plant pathology, weed science), veterinary sciences, epidemiology, public health or a related discipline.
• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience in surveillance, diagnostics, biosecurity, regulatory operations or related management roles.
• Proven leadership, integrity and stakeholder management skills, and ability to lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Research publications in HEC-recognised journals preferred.