Director General | NAFSA

This position is being recruited by Pakistan Single Window (PSW) on behalf of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA). NAFSA is being established as a strategic national initiative to strengthen Pakistan’s agri-trade ecosystem through enhanced regulatory oversight, facilitation, and modernization of food safety and trade processes. The selected candidate will be part of NAFSA’s foundational team, contributing to the development of systems, processes, and institutional capabilities.

The Director General is the chief executive of NAFSA appointed under the NAFSA Act, responsible for establishing and leading the Authority while overseeing smooth transition from legacy departments including Department of Plant Protection and Animal Quarantine Department. Reporting to the Board of Governors of NAFSA, the Director General is required to provide strategic direction and effective governance for optimal service delivery as per statutory mandate of NAFSA.

What Is Already in Place 

NAFSA is not starting from a blank slate. Significant groundwork has been completed prior to the DG's appointment:

• Organizational Design: Board-approved structure covering three functional wings — Scientific Advisory & Policy (SAPW), Operations (OW), and Corporate Services (CSW) with over 300 defined positions and detailed job description in place.
• Compensation Framework: Board-approved Total Rewards Framework (TRF) establishing NAFSA Pay Scales (NPS), allowances, medical and life insurance, and a performance-linked incentive structure.
• Headquarters: Fully furnished office at G-9/4, Islamabad, operationally ready for the Authority's leadership and core teams.
• Financial Foundation: Initial funds allocation and early-stage procurements underway, providing working capital and operational continuity from day one.
• Revenue Model: A self-sustaining cost-recovery model enabled under Section 31 of the NAFSA Act 2026 through the NAFSA Fund, ensuring long-term financial independence from Government budgetary allocations.

The Role: Director General

The Director General is the Chief Executive of NAFSA and serves as Secretary to the Board of Governors. With foundational elements already in place, the incoming DG steps into a structured, operationally-seeded authority — the focus is on leading delivery and building institutional momentum.

 Strategic Mandate

• Drive the next phase of NAFSA operationalization: merit-based recruitment of wing and divisional leadership, establishment of regulatory systems and SOPs, and commencement of statutory functions under the NAFSA Act 2026.
• Lead the orderly transition of assets, operations, and personnel from DPP and AQD into NAFSA's unified structure with minimal disruption to existing trade flows.
• Provide strategic leadership to three Deputy Directors General heading SAPW, OW, and CSW, and ensure effective coordination across NAFSA's formations.
• Serve as the institutional face of NAFSA in national and international forums, and as ex-officio Secretary to the Board of Governors.

Role in Pakistan's Agri-Sector Growth

• Market Access Expansion: Lead negotiations and international coordination to open new export markets for Pakistani agri-commodities — including fruits, vegetables, rice, meat, and dairy — directly supporting GoP's agricultural export targets.
• SPS Compliance Upgrade: Operationalize a credible SPS regime meeting international buyer requirements, enabling Pakistani exporters to access premium markets in the EU, GCC, China, and beyond.
• Pesticide & Input Regulation: Streamline pesticide registration and agrochemical standards to improve farm productivity while ensuring food safety and international MRL compliance.
• Digital Transformation: Drive adoption of technology in inspection, certification, track-and-trace, and surveillance systems to reduce discretion and transaction costs for trade.
• Crisis Management Leadership: Develop national crisis management capacity for SPS incidents — pest incursions, contamination events, disease outbreaks — protecting Pakistan's export reputation.
  

Provincial Harmonization: Coordinate harmonization of SPS standards across provinces, reducing inter-regional trade barriers for domestic agri-supply chains.

Main Responsibilities

• Timely establishment of NAFSA on modern lines with required systems, policies, SOPs, staffing to ensure effective service delivery as per assigned legal mandate under NAFSA Act 2026.
• Oversee timely transition of assets, operations and systems from legacy departments including DPP and AQD with minimal risk of business disruption or non-compliances.
• Provide strategic leadership and act as the chief executive officer of the Authority.
• Serve as ex-officio member and secretary to the Board of Governors while providing support in implementation of Board’s decisions.
• Develop and execute NAFSA’s strategic plan and annual work plans.
• Performance reporting to the Board and Federal Government, setting-up KPIs and robust performance appraisal mechanism.
• Establish an appropriate service structure and lead merit-based recruitment of key leadership and technical staff.
• Oversee establishment of various formations of NAFSA with clear responsibilities and development of their operational processes to optimally deliver assigned functions.
• Develop effective coordination and collaboration mechanism between different formations of NAFSA
• Ensure capacity building and workforce readiness for operations and support functions.
• Development of needed corporate culture and mechanisms to attract and retain best in class human resource and ensure their optimal utilization
• Approve internal policies, SOPs, delegations and control frameworks consistent with the Act and Board directions.
• Promote integrity, transparency and accountable decision-making.
• Provide stewardship of the NAFSA Fund and budget processes, ensuring financial sustainability, and effective oversight of the Finance and corporate controls.
• Ensure audit and accountability arrangements, including facilitation of internal and external audits including those by the Auditor General of Pakistan, ensure timely corrective actions and closure of observations.
• Represent NAFSA in national and international forums; coordinate with federal and provincial governments, regulators, Customs and development partners to advance SPS compliances, food safety and trade facilitation objectives especially enhancing and sustaining Pakistan’s market access for enhanced exports of agri-products.
• Lead risk management and emergency response for SPS incidents (outbreaks, contamination, pest incursions), including crisis coordination and stakeholder communication.
• Adoption of technology and digitalization to minimize human interface and discretion in day to day operations.
• Effective management of various services providers and related service level agreements.
• Delegate powers and functions to authorized officers as appropriate and ensure effective oversight of delegated authorities, consistent with the Act and prescribed conditions.

Who Can Apply

NAFSA invites applications from qualified Pakistani nationals ready to lead a nationally important regulatory institution and take it to its full mandate.

Educational Qualification

• Master's degree (minimum 16 years of education) in Management Sciences, Agronomy, Food Safety, Veterinary Sciences, Plant Protection, Public Health, Trade/Economics, or a related field from a reputable institution.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 15 years of relevant professional experience, with at least 5 years in an executive leadership role in a regulator, autonomous body, large public sector organization, or comparable institution.
• Demonstrated track record of leading institutional reforms, establishing organizations or large programmes, and managing multi-disciplinary, geographically distributed teams.
• Experience in public finance and governance: budgeting, fund management, audit oversight, and implementation of internal controls.
• Substantive understanding of SPS systems and international standards (WTO SPS, Codex, WOAH, IPPC) and their application to import/export controls and domestic regulation.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and diplomacy skills, including coordination with federal/provincial governments and engagement with the private sector and international development partners.

Desirable Attributes

• Experience driving digital transformation and data-driven management in a regulatory or public sector context.
• Familiarity with Pakistan's agri-trade ecosystem, SPS regulatory landscape, and legacy structures of DPP and AQD.
• Track record of integration with national systems (Single Window, customs, laboratory networks).

Compensation & Benefits

The Director General position carries NPS-7, the highest tier in the NAFSA Pay Scales framework, designed to attract executive talent from regulators, SOEs, and the private sector:

• Gross Fixed Salary:
  Up to PKR 2,555,338 per month (Band: PKR 1,935,862 – 2,555,338)
• Basic Pay (67% of Gross):
  Up to PKR 1,712,076 (Used as the basis for performance bonus calculations)
• House Rent Allowance (33%):
  Up to PKR 843,262 (Included within Gross Fixed Salary)
• Employer CBS Contribution:
  8.33% of Basic Pay (Defined contribution – pension equivalent)
• Mobile Allowance:
  PKR 10,000 per month
• Fuel Allowance:
  350 litres per month (or equivalent fuel card)
• Festive Allowance:
  One month’s Gross Salary (paid annually after completion of 1 year of service)
• Performance Bonus:
  Up to 3× Gross Salary (subject to exceeding KPI targets)
• Medical Coverage:
  PKR 1,200,000 per year & PKR 150,000 OPD limit
• Life Insurance (Natural Death):
  PKR 7,000,000 (Institutional policy)
• Life Insurance (Accidental):
  PKR 14,000,000 (Institutional policy)
  

Note: Salary placement within the NPS-7 band (PKR 1,935,862 – 2,555,338/month) is determined on the basis of qualifications, experience, and market alignment.

Employment Terms

• Employment Type

    Fixed-Term Contract — 3 years, renewable for one further term of 3 years

• Location

    NAFSA Headquarters, Islamabad

• Reporting To

Board of Governors, NAFSA (through the Chairperson)

• Selection Process

Open, merit-based competitive process

• Application Deadline

15 days from the date of advertisement

How to Apply

• We are an equal opportunity employer.
• Female candidates are encouraged to apply.
• Persons with special needs are persuaded to apply.
• No TA/DA will be admissible.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• All candidates are treated strictly on merit.
• NAFSA/PSW reserves the right to accept or reject any application or to cancel the recruitment process at any stage.
• Recruitment will be subject to applicable directives and guidelines of the Federal Government.

For contact, kindly reach out to [email protected]