Director (Pesticide Registration & Certification)

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.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Deputy Director General (Operations), the role supports operational planning and performance management, standardizes operational SOPs and service delivery, coordinates cross-agency interfaces at points of entry/exit, and ensures operational feedback loops to SAPW for continuous improvement of standards, protocols and regulatory instruments. The position strengthens operational readiness, integrity controls and customer service for import, export and inter-regional SPS controls.

Main Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and oversight of pesticide business registration, product registration, testing/analysis, studies, and certification systems within NAFSA’s mandate.

• Ensure implementation of notified pesticide regulations and alignment with international best practices and relevant guidelines.

• Safeguard scientific integrity, transparency, and consistency in pesticide regulatory decisions and ensure robust documentation.

• Supervise subordinate units to ensure functional separation, accountability, and appropriate checks-and-balances across registration, studies, and testing functions.

• Review and endorse registration outcomes, regulatory actions, and compliance reports for higher-level approval as required.

• Coordinate with domestic stakeholders (industry, provinces, laboratories, research institutions) on pesticide regulation matters.

• Advise NAFSA leadership on emerging pesticide risks, regulatory gaps, and capacity needs, including proposals for system strengthening.

• Establish KPIs and reporting mechanisms for regulatory performance, service delivery, and compliance outcomes.

• Perform any other responsibilities assigned by the reporting officer in support of NAFSA’s mandate.

Education:

- M.Sc. (Hons.) / MPhil (Minimum eighteen years of education) in Agriculture (Entomology/Plant Protection/Plant Pathology, Weed Science), Chemistry (Analytical/Environmental), Environmental Sciences, or equivalent (PhD preferred).

Experience

• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience in pesticide regulation, studies, analysis/testing, or related regulatory leadership roles.

• Demonstrated understanding of pesticide regulatory frameworks, risk-based decision-making, and governance/quality assurance.

• Strong stakeholder management and leadership skills.

• Research publications in HEC-recognised journals (preferred).

For contact, kindly reach out to hr.support@psw.gov.pk.