Deputy Director (Animal Health Risk) | NAFSA

Pakistan Single Window; Islamabad; On-site; PKR 1,500,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Pakistan Single Window (PSW) on behalf of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) is recruiting a senior professional to join the foundational team. The role focuses on developing and applying robust animal health risk assessments for imports, exports, and inter-regional movement, while aligning with international SPS standards and regulatory frameworks.

The successful candidate will coordinate with provincial livestock departments, laboratories, and international partners,

Qualifications

• Eight+ years in animal health/SPS regulation or related field.
• Strong knowledge of international standards (WTO-SPS, WOAH/OIE, Codex).
• Proven ability to translate science into policy and operational requirements.
• Experience coordinating with provincial departments, labs, and international counterparts.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of animal health risk assessments for imports/exports and inter-regional movement.
• Apply hazard identification, likelihood, and consequence assessment methods.
• Maintain and update risk profiles and pathways for priority commodities and partners.
• Provide technical inputs for trade regulation decisions and risk-based surveillance.

Skills

Risk assessment

SPS regulation

Regulatory policymaking

Stakeholder management

Education

Master's Degree in Veterinary Health, Epidemiology, Animal Health, or Food Safety

DVM or PVMC-recognized equivalent

Job description

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.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of scientific animal health risk assessments for imports, exports and inter-regional movement of animals and animal products, including risks from transboundary and notifiable diseases.
• Apply internationally accepted risk analysis approaches (hazard identification, likelihood and consequence assessment) to support evidence-based SPS measures and risk management decisions.
• Maintain and periodically update animal health risk profiles and pathways for priority commodities and trading partners.
• Ensure that all risks impacting Pakistan’s market access for animals and animals based products exports are timely identified and tracked.
• Ensure that all risks impacting animal health and quarantine in imports and inter provincial trade are timely identified and tracked.
• Provide technical inputs for decisions to regulate, prohibit or restrict trade consignments likely to introduce harmful organisms, invasive species or diseases.
• Support the preparation and review of national crisis management plans for animal health emergencies, including triggers, response options and communication requirements.
• Provide input for development of required regulations and standards in the SAPW.
• Act as the focal point for liaison on animal health risks matters with international organizations and bilateral
• Coordinate with Operations Wing (OW) to ensure that risk assessment outputs translate into practical inspection, quarantine and surveillance protocols.
• Liaise with provincial livestock departments, notified laboratories, universities and research bodies to access surveillance data and scientific evidence.
• Review international notifications, scientific literature and outbreak intelligence relevant to Pakistan’s animal health risks and emerging threats.
• Contribute technical briefs to NAFSA Scientific Committee deliberations and support the secretariat function through well-documented risk opinions.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for animal health risk assessment outputs (timeliness, quality, peer review status and uptake).
• Promote high standards of governance, transparency and documentation for all risk assessments, ensuring auditability and reproducibility.
• Oversee development of system for risk assessment related to animal health.
• Perform any other responsibilities assigned by the reporting officer in support of NAFSA’s mandate.
  

Education:

• Minimum of sixteen years of education (Master’s Degree) in Veterinary Health, Epidemiology, Animal Health, Food Safety, or a related discipline from an academic institution recognized by HEC. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent qualification recognized by Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council (PVMC) will be preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of progressively responsible experience in animal health/SPS regulation, veterinary public health, quarantine, or international trade compliance, including at least 3 years in a supervisory role.
• Strong knowledge of SPS measures and international standards (WTO-SPS, WOAH/OIE standards, Codex where applicable) and experience in applying them in regulatory settings.
• Demonstrated analytical and report-writing skills with the ability to translate scientific evidence into policy and operational requirements.
• Proven stakeholder management skills, including coordination with provincial departments, laboratories, industry and international counterparts.
• Research publications in HEC-recognised journals (preferred).
• Experience of working in animal health based risk assessment jobs and projects (preferred).