Deputy Director (MAIC Plant) / IPPC Contact Point | 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.

Responsibilities:

• Perform functions of the official IPPC Contact Point / enquiry point for Pakistan in accordance with IPPC Article VIII-2 and related CPM guidance.
• Maintain the necessary authority and coordination mechanisms to communicate on phytosanitary issues on behalf of the contracting party, as the single IPPC enquiry point.
• Ensure the information exchange obligations under the IPPC are implemented in a timely manner, including forwarding/receiving official phytosanitary communications.
• Coordinate official phytosanitary communication between contracting parties and ensure effective functioning of IPPC-related information flows.
• Redirect phytosanitary information received from other contracting parties and the IPPC Secretariat to appropriate national officials/units for action.
• Coordinate and respond to requests for phytosanitary information related to plant and plant products (e.g., import requirements, PRA summaries, pest lists, compliance frameworks)
• Support bilateral and multilateral negotiations by preparing technical briefs, country profiles, issue papers, and responses for plant health market access.
• Maintain country-wise and commodity-wise market access records (protocols, special conditions, additional declarations, suspension/reinstatement history).
• Monitor and analyse SPS notifications and trade alerts impacting plant exports and prepare technical summaries for policy consideration.
• Draft official correspondence and technical replies related to plant-origin trade barriers and phytosanitary concerns.
• Support preparation of national positions for WTO-SPS Committee meetings, IPPC forums, and regional consultations under guidance of the Director.
• Compile and review PRA inputs from technical/operational units to ensure completeness and conformity with ISPMs prior to submission
• Perform any other responsibilities assigned by the reporting officer in support of NAFSA’s mandate
  

Requirements

Education:

• Master’s / MPhil (minimum eighteen years of education) in Agriculture with specialisation in Entomology, Plant Protection, Plant Pathology, , Weed Science or related field

Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in phytosanitary regulation, plant quarantine, SPS coordination, or market access technical work
• Strong knowledge of IPPC, ISPMs, and WTO-SPS requirements relevant to plant health.
• Excellent drafting and communication skills, including preparation of official technical correspondence.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across federal/provincial and operational units and manage information exchange.
• Research publications in HEC-recognised journals (preferred)

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