The National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) has announced a senior leadership opportunity for the position of Director General at its headquarters in Islamabad.

The NAFSA Director General Job is one of the Authority’s highest-level executive positions. The selected professional will serve as the Chief Executive of NAFSA and Secretary to its Board of Governors, with responsibility for leading the operational development of Pakistan’s newly established agri-trade and food safety regulatory authority.

The position carries NPS-7, the highest grade within the NAFSA Pay Scales framework. The advertised gross fixed salary ranges from PKR 1,935,862 to PKR 2,555,338 per month, in addition to performance incentives, medical coverage, insurance, mobile and fuel benefits.

Applicants must possess a relevant Master’s degree with at least 16 years of education and a minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience, including at least five years in an executive leadership role.

The advertisement was published on 23 August 2026. NAFSA states that applications will remain open for 7 days from the date of advertisement, making the closing date 30 August 2026.

NAFSA Director General Job Details

Position: Director General
Hiring Organization: National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA)
Job Grade: NPS-7
Sector: Federal Regulatory Authority / Public Sector
Location: NAFSA Headquarters, Islamabad
Headquarters: G-9/4, Islamabad, Pakistan
Qualification: Master’s degree with minimum 16 years of education
Experience: Minimum 15 years relevant professional experience
Executive Experience: Minimum 5 years in an executive leadership position
Salary: PKR 1,935,862 to PKR 2,555,338 per month
Employment Type: Fixed-Term Contract
Contract Duration: 3 years, renewable for one further term of 3 years
Reporting To: Board of Governors, NAFSA, through the Chairperson
Selection Process: Open merit-based competitive process
Date Posted: 23 August 2026
Application Deadline: 30 August 2026
Official Career Page: https://sites.google.com/view/nafsa-careers/careers
Direct Apply Link: https://apply.workable.com/pakistan-single-window/j/437987A850/

About the NAFSA Director General Position

The Director General is the principal executive responsible for turning NAFSA’s statutory mandate into a fully operational regulatory system.

The incoming Director General will join an organization where much of the institutional framework has already been prepared. The focus of the position is therefore not simply administrative management; it involves building regulatory capacity, establishing operational systems, leading senior management, coordinating the transition of legacy functions, and representing Pakistan’s agri-trade regulatory interests nationally and internationally.

The NAFSA Director General Job requires an executive capable of combining institutional leadership with knowledge of governance, agriculture, food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary regulation, international trade, public finance, digital transformation, and stakeholder management.

About NAFSA

The National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority is a federal regulatory authority established under the NAFSA Act 2026.

NAFSA has been created to consolidate Pakistan’s previously fragmented agri-trade and sanitary and phytosanitary regulatory functions under a single professionally governed authority.

Its mandate includes regulation of:

  • Agricultural imports and exports
  • Plant-based products
  • Animal-based products
  • Agrochemicals
  • Sanitary and phytosanitary compliance
  • Pesticide registration
  • Food safety standards
  • International agricultural market access
  • Inspection and quarantine controls
  • Accredited testing laboratories
  • Export certification
  • Biosecurity measures
  • Veterinary diagnostic testing
  • National SPS crisis management
  • International regulatory coordination

The Authority is headquartered in Islamabad and has an operational mandate extending across Pakistan.

Role of the Director General

The Director General will act as the Chief Executive of NAFSA and Secretary to the Board of Governors.

The selected executive will be responsible for providing strategic direction to the Authority and ensuring that NAFSA performs its functions effectively under the NAFSA Act 2026.

The position requires leadership across three major organizational wings:

  • Scientific Advisory and Policy Wing
  • Operations Wing
  • Corporate Services Wing

The Director General will provide overall direction while ensuring coordination among these organizational formations.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate for the NAFSA Director General Job will be expected to lead the operationalization and long-term development of the Authority.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Leading the next phase of NAFSA’s institutional operationalization.
  • Establishing regulatory systems, policies, processes and SOPs.
  • Leading merit-based recruitment of senior, technical and divisional leadership.
  • Ensuring commencement of NAFSA’s statutory functions under the NAFSA Act 2026.
  • Managing the orderly transition of assets, personnel, operations and systems from the Department of Plant Protection and Animal Quarantine Department.
  • Minimizing disruption to existing agricultural trade during the institutional transition.
  • Providing strategic leadership to NAFSA’s Deputy Directors General.
  • Coordinating activities across Scientific Advisory and Policy, Operations and Corporate Services wings.
  • Acting as the institutional representative of NAFSA in Pakistan and internationally.
  • Serving as ex-officio Secretary to the Board of Governors.
  • Supporting implementation of decisions made by the Board.
  • Developing and executing NAFSA’s strategic plan.
  • Preparing and implementing annual work plans.
  • Establishing performance indicators and organizational performance systems.
  • Reporting organizational performance to the Board and Federal Government.
  • Establishing appropriate service structures.
  • Developing operational processes for different NAFSA formations.
  • Building effective coordination mechanisms across the organization.
  • Developing workforce capacity and organizational readiness.
  • Establishing a performance-focused organizational culture.
  • Developing mechanisms to attract and retain qualified professionals.
  • Approving internal policies and operational procedures.
  • Establishing delegations and internal control frameworks.
  • Promoting integrity, transparency and accountable decision-making.
  • Providing oversight of the NAFSA Fund and budget processes.
  • Ensuring financial sustainability and responsible fund management.
  • Overseeing internal and external audit arrangements.
  • Ensuring corrective action on audit observations.
  • Coordinating with federal and provincial governments.
  • Working with regulators, Customs, private-sector stakeholders and development partners.
  • Leading risk management and emergency responses involving SPS incidents.
  • Promoting technology adoption and digitalization.
  • Ensuring effective management of service providers and service-level agreements.
  • Delegating appropriate powers while maintaining effective executive oversight.

Role in Pakistan’s Agricultural Trade

The Director General will have a significant role in strengthening Pakistan’s ability to access and retain international agricultural markets.

Market Access Expansion

The Director General will lead negotiations and international coordination aimed at opening additional export markets for Pakistani agricultural products.

Relevant commodities include:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Rice
  • Meat
  • Dairy products
  • Other agricultural commodities

This work will support Pakistan’s agricultural export objectives and market diversification.

SPS Compliance

A major responsibility will be strengthening Pakistan’s sanitary and phytosanitary regulatory framework.

The objective is to create a credible SPS system capable of meeting requirements in major international markets, including:

  • European Union
  • Gulf Cooperation Council markets
  • China
  • Other international agricultural markets

Pesticide and Agricultural Input Regulation

The Director General will oversee improvements to pesticide registration and agrochemical regulation.

This includes supporting agricultural productivity while maintaining food safety and compliance with international Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) requirements.

Digital Transformation

NAFSA intends to increase the use of technology in regulatory operations.

The Director General will lead digital transformation involving areas such as:

  • Inspection
  • Certification
  • Track-and-trace systems
  • Regulatory surveillance
  • Digital information management
  • Reduced manual discretion
  • Faster agricultural trade processing

Crisis Management

The position also carries responsibility for developing national capacity to respond to SPS emergencies, including:

  • Pest incursions
  • Food contamination incidents
  • Animal or plant disease outbreaks
  • Biosecurity threats
  • Export compliance emergencies

The Director General will be expected to coordinate institutional and stakeholder responses to such events.

Provincial Harmonization

NAFSA will work to improve harmonization of sanitary, phytosanitary and food safety standards across Pakistan.

The Director General will coordinate with provincial authorities to reduce unnecessary inter-regional barriers and support more efficient domestic agricultural supply chains.

Educational Qualification

Applicants must possess a Master’s degree with at least 16 years of education in one of the following or a related discipline:

  • Management Sciences
  • Agronomy
  • Food Safety
  • Veterinary Sciences
  • Plant Protection
  • Public Health
  • Trade
  • Economics
  • Related relevant fields

The qualification must be obtained from a reputable institution.

Professional Experience

Candidates must possess at least:

15 years of relevant professional experience

Within this experience, applicants must have:

At least 5 years in an executive leadership role.

The executive experience should preferably have been gained within:

  • A regulatory authority
  • An autonomous organization
  • A large public-sector institution
  • A comparable major organization

Leadership Experience

NAFSA requires evidence of senior-level institutional leadership rather than only technical experience.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate a track record involving:

  • Leading institutional reforms
  • Establishing organizations or major programmes
  • Managing complex organizations
  • Leading multi-disciplinary teams
  • Managing geographically dispersed teams
  • Developing governance systems
  • Implementing organizational controls
  • Driving institutional change

Public Finance and Governance Experience

The Director General will have significant financial and governance responsibilities.

Relevant experience should include areas such as:

  • Budgeting
  • Fund management
  • Financial governance
  • Audit oversight
  • Internal controls
  • Institutional accountability
  • Financial sustainability

Applicants with direct responsibility for major institutional budgets or public funds should clearly describe this experience in their application.

SPS and International Regulatory Knowledge

Candidates should possess substantial understanding of sanitary and phytosanitary systems and relevant international standards.

The advertisement specifically refers to knowledge of:

  • WTO SPS Agreement
  • Codex Alimentarius
  • World Organisation for Animal Health or WOAH
  • International Plant Protection Convention or IPPC

Candidates should understand how these frameworks apply to international agricultural trade, import and export controls, food safety and domestic regulatory systems.

Stakeholder Management

The Director General must possess strong stakeholder engagement and diplomatic capabilities.

The role may involve engagement with:

  • Federal Government
  • Provincial governments
  • Regulatory authorities
  • Customs authorities
  • Agricultural exporters
  • Importers
  • Private businesses
  • International organizations
  • Development partners
  • Foreign regulatory authorities
  • Agricultural industry representatives

Strong communication, negotiation and relationship-management skills will therefore be essential.

Desirable Experience

The following experience will strengthen an applicant’s suitability:

  • Leading digital transformation initiatives.
  • Implementing data-driven management systems.
  • Experience within regulatory or public-sector organizations.
  • Familiarity with Pakistan’s agricultural trade ecosystem.
  • Understanding of Pakistan’s SPS regulatory landscape.
  • Knowledge of the former Department of Plant Protection.
  • Knowledge of the Animal Quarantine Department.
  • Experience integrating institutional systems with national platforms.
  • Familiarity with Pakistan Single Window.
  • Experience with Customs-related systems.
  • Experience with laboratory or testing networks.

Compensation and Salary

The NAFSA Director General Job carries the NPS-7 pay scale.

The advertised monthly gross salary band is:

Minimum Gross Salary: PKR 1,935,862 per month
Maximum Gross Salary: PKR 2,555,338 per month

Placement within the salary band will depend on qualifications, experience and market alignment.

Basic Pay

Basic pay represents approximately 67% of gross fixed salary.

Basic Pay: Up to PKR 1,712,076

The basic salary will also be used for performance-related calculations.

House Rent Allowance

The compensation package includes a house rent component equivalent to approximately 33% of gross salary.

House Rent Allowance: Up to PKR 843,262

This amount is included within the gross fixed salary.

Employer Contribution

NAFSA provides an employer contribution equivalent to:

8.33% of Basic Pay

This operates as a defined contribution or pension-equivalent benefit.

Mobile Allowance

The selected Director General will receive:

PKR 10,000 per month

as a mobile allowance.

Fuel Allowance

The package includes:

350 litres of fuel per month

or an equivalent fuel card arrangement.

Festive Allowance

The compensation framework includes an annual festive allowance equivalent to:

One month’s gross salary

It becomes payable after completion of one year of service, according to the advertised terms.

Performance Bonus

The Director General may receive a performance bonus of:

Up to three times the gross monthly salary

subject to exceeding applicable performance targets and KPIs.

Medical Coverage

The advertised medical package includes:

PKR 1,200,000 per year

plus:

PKR 150,000 OPD limit

Life Insurance

Life insurance benefits include:

Natural Death: PKR 7,000,000
Accidental Death: PKR 14,000,000

These benefits are subject to institutional policy.

Employment Terms

The appointment will be made on a:

Fixed-Term Contract for 3 years

The contract may be renewed for:

One additional term of 3 years

The Director General will report to the Board of Governors of NAFSA through the Chairperson.

Selection will take place through an open, merit-based competitive process.

Job Location

The NAFSA Director General Job is based at:

National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority Headquarters
Sector G-9/4
Islamabad 44000
Pakistan

The Director General will also represent NAFSA at national and international forums, so the role may involve official travel and engagement outside Islamabad.

Who Should Apply?

This executive opportunity is best suited to experienced Pakistani professionals who combine senior management experience with a strong understanding of regulation, governance, agriculture, food safety, international trade or related public-sector functions.

A competitive applicant should demonstrate:

  • At least 15 years of relevant professional experience.
  • At least five years of executive leadership.
  • Strong institutional management experience.
  • Experience managing complex organizations or major programmes.
  • Knowledge of public-sector governance.
  • Understanding of financial and audit controls.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills.
  • Understanding of SPS and international regulatory systems.
  • Strategic planning experience.
  • Ability to lead organizational transformation.
  • Strong communication and negotiation skills.
  • Experience working with senior government and private-sector stakeholders.

How to Apply

Candidates must submit their applications online.

Official NAFSA Careers Page:
https://sites.google.com/view/nafsa-careers/careers

Direct Online Application:
https://apply.workable.com/pakistan-single-window/j/437987A850/

Applicants should review the complete position description before submitting their application and make sure their CV clearly demonstrates:

  • Relevant educational qualifications
  • Total professional experience
  • Executive leadership experience
  • Institutional reform experience
  • Regulatory or public-sector experience
  • Public finance and governance exposure
  • SPS or agricultural trade knowledge
  • Digital transformation experience where applicable
  • Major achievements relevant to the Director General role

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.

Application Deadline

The advertisement was issued on 23 August 2026, and the official NAFSA career notice provides a 7-day application period.

Last Date to Apply: 30 August 2026

Hiring Organization

National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA)

NAFSA is a statutory federal regulatory authority established under the NAFSA Act 2026 to strengthen Pakistan’s agricultural trade, food safety, plant health, animal health and SPS regulatory framework.

Headquarters: G-9/4, Islamabad, Pakistan
HR Contact: 051-9245587
Recruitment Email: hr.support@psw.gov.pk
Career Portal: https://sites.google.com/view/nafsa-careers/careers

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