Deputy Director General, Scientific Advisory & Policy Wing

About the role

Pakistan Single Window 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 Deputy Director General of the Scientific Advisory and Policy Wing leads the Scientific Advisory and Policy Wing and provides the scientific basis for NAFSA's SPS measures, covering risk assessment, standards, registration, licensing, certification, track and trace, food safety, quality assurance, biosecurity, pesticides and diagnostics, and international coordination with bodies such as WTO, IPPC, OIE and Codex.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the Scientific Advisory and Policy Wing and give scientific, technical and regulatory leadership for NAFSA's SPS and food safety mandate.
• Direct scientific risk assessment for food safety, animal health, plant health and related areas, and give evidence-based guidance to the Operations Wing on official controls, inspection, quarantine, certification, surveillance, track and trace, pesticide registration and grading.
• Develop, update and interpret SPS measures, standards and technical regulations aligned with the NAFSA Act and international standards (Codex, WOAH, IPPC).
• Set up and run peer review mechanisms and safeguard against conflicts of interest in scientific advice.
• Design surveillance and monitoring programmes and define sampling, testing and inspection protocols, including laboratory accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025, PNAC/ILAC where applicable).
• Develop risk-based import/export requirements, equivalence assessments and certification standards, and technical guidelines for registration and licensing.
• Coordinate regulatory drafting with the Legal section, consult stakeholders and maintain a regulatory register and standards catalogue.
• Support provincial harmonisation of SPS measures and build scientific data systems and evidence repositories.
• Deliver training curricula, materials and SOPs for inspectors, analysts and regulators, and coordinate scientific cooperation with ministries, provinces, academia and donors.
• Support emergency response with rapid risk assessments, scientific input for recalls and risk communication guidance.

Required profile

• Advanced degree (Master's, 16 years of education; PhD preferred) in food safety, veterinary sciences, epidemiology, plant pathology, microbiology, toxicology, public health, agriculture or a related field (HEC-recognised).
• Knowledge of WTO SPS principles and international standards (Codex, WOAH, IPPC) and their translation into national requirements.
• At least 15 years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience in risk assessment, SPS regulation, standards development, surveillance programmes and laboratory systems.
• Ability to draft technical regulations, lead stakeholder consultations and lead multi-disciplinary teams.
• Administrative experience in a managerial or leadership position.

Required skills

• Familiarity with laboratory quality management and accreditation standards (e.g. ISO/IEC 17025)
• Scientific writing, policy drafting and stakeholder consultation
• Inter-governmental coordination and negotiation with international counterparts

The workplace is on site. Applications are made through Pakistan Single Window.