Director (International Trade Compliance) | 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.

Reporting to the Deputy Director General (Operations Wing), the Director (International Trade Compliance) 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. The role ensures risk-based, consistent and technology-enabled operational implementation across plant, animal and food safety streams; coordinates with Customs and other border agencies, provincial nominated departments and notified laboratories; and provides operational intelligence and feedback to SAPW for continuous improvement of standards, protocols and regulatory instruments.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the ITC Division to ensure effective 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, ITC Plant Imports, ITC Animals and ITC Food Safety; ensure clear accountability, segregation of duties and consistent decision-making across streams.
• Plan and manage deployment of ITC field formations (Assistant Directors, Inspectors and support staff), including rostering and resource allocation, to maintain operational readiness where required.
• Ensure standardized implementation and periodic updating of operational SOPs for documentary checks, inspection, sampling, quarantine, treatment, detention/release, certification and incident management, maintaining controlled documentation and audit trails.
• Implement risk-based targeting and inspection coverage in coordination with SAPW risk assessment advice; ensure appropriate separation between risk assessment (SAPW) and operational risk management decisions (OW).
• Oversee import controls to verify compliance of goods with notified SPS conditions, including verification of accompanying certificates, physical inspection, sampling and referral to quarantine/holding facilities as required.
• Oversee export compliance and certification processes (phytosanitary and veterinary, as applicable), including pre-export verification, treatment verification, management of interceptions and support to importing-country audits/verification missions.
• Coordinate sample management and laboratory interface, including chain-of-custody, timely transmission of samples, monitoring of laboratory turnaround times and follow-up on non-compliance results.
• Coordinate day-to-day operations and issue resolution with Customs, port/airport authorities, border agencies, provincial nominated departments and (where engaged) third-party conformance assessment bodies to facilitate legitimate trade while safeguarding SPS outcomes.
• Maintain operational dashboards and periodic performance reporting (e.g., clearance/turnaround time, inspection coverage, non-compliance rates, detentions/seizures, rejections and stakeholder complaints) for DDG OW/DG review.
• Lead preparedness and incident response at borders (outbreaks, pest incursions, contamination events), and strengthen integrity, compliance and service quality by enforcing ethical conduct, managing conflict-of-interest risks, responding to complaints, and coordinating with Legal, Internal Audit and Secretariat on sensitive cases and enforcement actions as required.
  

Education:

• Master’s degree (sixteen years 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.
• Knowledge of SPS measures and international standards relevant to border controls and certification (Codex, WOAH, IPPC, WTO SPS) is required.

Experience:

• Minimum 12 years of relevant experience in regulatory operations, border/port operations, inspection and quarantine services, certification systems, or comparable operational environments, including at least 5 years in a supervisory/management role.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing SOPs and operational controls, managing geographically distributed teams and delivering measurable service outcomes.
• Experience coordinating multi-agency operations (e.g., with Customs, port/airport authorities, provincial departments) and handling sensitive trade facilitation and compliance matters.
• Strong skills in operational analytics, performance reporting and process improvement; experience in digital systems roll-out (e-certification, workflow systems) is an advantage.
• High integrity, resilience under pressure and ability to manage operational risks, incidents and stakeholder expectations.