Deputy Director, Food Safety Risk, NAFSA Islamabad

Pakistan Single Window (PSW) is recruiting on behalf of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA), a new national body for agri-trade regulation, facilitation and food safety. The selected candidate joins NAFSA's founding team. This Deputy Director, Food Safety Risk (Plant) works on food safety risk assessment for plant products.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct, commission, or validate scientific risk assessments for plant-origin food safety hazards (chemical, biological, and physical) across the food chain
• Define data requirements and analytical approaches for risk profiling of plant-based foods and commodities, including prioritisation of hazards and pathways
• Develop evidence-based recommendations for risk management measures and risk based inspection/controls to reduce food safety risks
• Design and refine risk-based food control models and regulatory categorisation of food business operators and commodities (risk-based targeting)
• Maintain and update food safety risk profiles, risk matrices, and technical guidance based on surveillance, testing, and international intelligence
• Coordinate with provincial food authorities, laboratories, academia, and industry to collect and validate data required for risk assessment
• Prepare technical briefs and risk communication notes for senior leadership, including response inputs for incidents, border rejections, and emerging risks
• Support Scientific Committee deliberations by providing well-documented risk opinions and analytical summaries

Requirements

• M.Sc. (Hons.) / MPhil (minimum eighteen years of education) in Food Science & Technology, Microbiology, or a closely related discipline
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in food safety risk assessment, food control, laboratory/analytical work, or SPS-related regulation (plant-origin foods)
• Knowledge of Codex Alimentarius, WTO-SPS principles, and risk analysis approaches applied to food safety
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret laboratory and surveillance data into risk-based recommendations
• Excellent drafting and communication skills for technical briefs and regulatory advice
• Research publications in HEC-recognised journals (preferred)

Location and schedule

• Islamabad
• Contract

Salary and benefits

The posting does not give a salary figure.

How to apply

Apply on the company's own site.