National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority | NAFSA Jobs 2026 | Apply Online for Director (International Trade Compliance)

National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority | NAFSA Jobs 2026 | Apply Online for Director (International Trade Compliance)

DIRECTOR (INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMPLIANCE)

Our Client, The National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) Pakistan is a federal regulatory authority established under the NAFSA Act 2026. It is headquartered in Islamabad with operational presence across Pakistan. We are pleased to invite applications on behalf of our client for the position of Director, (International Trade Compliance), NAFSA.

ABOUT NAFSA

The National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) is Pakistan’s landmark institutional reform, established under the NAFSA Act 2026. For the first time, Pakistan has consolidated its fragmented agri-trade and sanitary-phytosanitary (SPS) regulatory regime under a single, autonomous, and professionally governed authority — replacing the legacy functions of the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) and the Animal Quarantine Department (AQD).

NAFSA is mandated to govern the import and export of agricultural commodities, regulate SPS compliance, manage pesticide registration, oversee food safety standards, and negotiate international market access — all through an evidence-based, digitally-enabled framework aligned with WTO, Codex Alimentarius, WOAH, and IPPC standards. The Authority is headquartered in Islamabad, with operational presence across Pakistan.

THE POSITION

Applications are invited for the position of Director (International Trade Compliance) in NAFSA’s Operations Wing (OW). Reporting to the Deputy Director General (Operations Wing), the Director leads NAFSA’s International Trade Compliance (ITC) Division, responsible for applying and enforcing notified SPS measures and inspection/quarantine controls for import, export, and transit consignments at all points of entry and exit across plant, animal, and food-safety streams.

THE ROLE: DIRECTOR (ITC)

Divisional Leadership & Operations

• Lead the ITC Division to ensure effective, risk-based and technology-enabled SPS compliance controls at designated airports, seaports, dry ports, and land border crossings, in line with NAFSA’s mandate and notified regulations.
• Oversee and guide Deputy Directors for ITC Plant Exports, Plant Imports, Animals, and Food Safety, ensuring clear accountability, segregation of duties, and consistent decision-making; plan and manage deployment of ITC field formations to maintain operational readiness.
• Ensure standardized implementation and periodic updating of operational SOPs for documentary checks, inspection, sampling, quarantine, treatment, detention/release, certification, and incident management, with controlled documentation and audit trails.

Compliance, Certification & Coordination

• Oversee import controls and export compliance/certification (phytosanitary and veterinary), including certificate verification, physical inspection, pre-export and treatment verification, and support to importing-country audits and verification missions.
• Coordinate sample management and laboratory interface (chain-of-custody, turnaround times, non-compliance follow-up) and day-to-day operations with Customs, port/airport authorities, provincial nominated departments, and third-party conformance bodies.

Performance, Integrity & Incident Response

• Maintain operational dashboards and periodic performance reporting (clearance/turnaround times, inspection coverage, non-compliance rates, detentions/seizures, rejections, and stakeholder complaints) for DDG OW / DG review.
• Lead border preparedness and incident response (outbreaks, pest incursions, contamination events); enforce ethical conduct and manage conflict-of-interest risks, coordinating with Legal, Internal Audit, and the Secretariat on sensitive cases and enforcement actions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

For the Director (ITC) position, salary and allowances are as follows:

EMPLOYMENT TERMS

WHO CAN APPLY

Educational Qualification
Master’s degree (sixteen years of education) in Veterinary Sciences, Plant Protection/Plant Quarantine, Food Safety/Food Science, Agriculture, Public Administration, Management, or a related discipline from an HEC-recognized institution.

Professional Experience
Minimum 12 years of relevant experience in regulatory operations, border/port operations, inspection and quarantine services, certification systems, or comparable environments, including at least 5 years in a supervisory/management role.

Core Competencies
Planning & Organising • Communication • Judgement/Decision Making
Leadership • Results/Quality Orientation • Stakeholder Management
Self-Confidence/Resilience

NAFSA’s introduction including NAFSA’s Act and the detailed job description of the above position including qualifications and experience criteria are accessible through the online portal.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates may apply online by scanning the QR code. The detailed job description, along with all required qualifications and experience criteria, is accessible through the online portal.

• 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.

PID (I) No.70526

URAAN PAKISTAN

HR Department | Tel: 051-9245587