The Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority has announced eleven regular government jobs on open merit, in pay scales from BPS-12 to BPS-19. The posts span the new regulator’s work, from a senior Additional Director to support staff, and applications are being accepted through the National Job Portal. It is one of the first large recruitment drives by a regulator created only in 2024.
Created under the Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Act, 2024, and based in Islamabad, the authority regulates cannabis cultivation, extraction, refining, manufacturing and sale for medicinal and industrial purposes. Its licensing framework has since taken shape: the Licensing Rules, 2026, issued in March 2026, allow five-year licences and cap hemp THC at 0.3 per cent. The new jobs arrive as the regulator moves from lawmaking into day-to-day licensing and enforcement.
Available Government Jobs
Advertisement PID(I)4173/26 covers seven posts: a single Additional Director (Operations and Vigilance) in BPS-19, maximum age 43; two Assistant Directors in BPS-17, maximum age 33; two Personal Assistants in BPS-16, age limit 35; and in BPS-14 one Steno-typist, two Computer Operators and two Upper Division Clerks, each maximum age 30. A single Data Entry Operator in BPS-12, also maximum age 30, completes it.
Additional Director Requirements
The BPS-19 position carries highly specialised requirements, reflecting the unusual nature of the authority’s mandate. Candidates need a relevant master’s degree with a minimum CGPA of 3.30 in development studies, public policy, sociology or a related field, plus a bachelor-level background in specified botany and chemistry subjects. Applicants need at least five years of cumulative experience in government, semi-government, the private sector or educational consultancy, plus specific experience in cannabis policy, licensing rules, regulatory frameworks, strategic planning or institutional development involving cannabis and hemp. Operations and enforcement experience in designated hard or remote government areas is also mandatory, and higher qualifications may cut the experience requirement by up to two years.
Assistant Director Jobs
There are two BPS-17 Assistant Director vacancies, and the eligibility bar is deliberately broad. Candidates need a sixteen-year or BS degree with at least second division in criminology, public administration, public policy, law, political science, natural sciences, chemistry, economics, artificial intelligence, management sciences, business administration, accounting, finance or an equivalent field. Higher qualifications will be preferred, two years of experience is required, maximum age 33.
PA Jobs
Two Personal Assistant positions in BPS-16 are available. Applicants need a fourteen-year degree with at least second division from an HEC-recognised university, and shorthand and typing speeds of 100 and 50 words per minute. Higher qualifications and computer literacy will be preferred; maximum age 35.
Steno-Typist Job
One Steno-typist post in BPS-14 is available. Candidates need a fourteen-year degree with at least second division from an HEC-recognised institution, plus shorthand and typing speeds of 80 and 40 words per minute. Higher qualifications and computer literacy will be preferred; maximum age 30.
Computer Operator Jobs
The department is hiring two Computer Operators in BPS-14. Candidates need a fourteen-year degree in computer science, with at least second division, from an HEC-recognised university, plus a Diploma in Information Technology. Higher qualifications in IT will be preferred; maximum age 30.
Upper Division Clerk Jobs
Two Upper Division Clerk positions in BPS-14 are available. Applicants need Intermediate with at least second division and typing proficiency at the speeds specified in the notice; higher qualifications and computer literacy will be preferred. Maximum age 30.
Data Entry Operator Job
One Data Entry Operator post in BPS-12, the most junior vacancy, is also advertised. Candidates need Intermediate with at least second division and must achieve 10,000 key depressions per hour on a computer. Maximum age 30.
How to Apply
Candidates must first apply online at njp.gov.pk, the National Job Portal. They must also post supporting documents to the Director General, P.O. Box No. 1341, GPO, Islamabad: an updated CV, attested copies of certificates and degrees, experience certificates, a CNIC copy, recent passport-size photographs and proof of the online application. Both steps are essential, or the file will be incomplete.
Application Deadline
Listings on the National Job Portal show November 20, 2026, as the deadline, and candidates should treat that as the closing date. Documents must also travel by post, so candidates should apply early and dispatch them in good time.
Important Conditions
Selection will be on merit under government rules, with age relaxation under applicable federal rules. Only shortlisted candidates will be called for a test or interview, and no TA or DA will be provided. Government employees must apply through the proper channel, and the authority may change the number of vacancies or cancel the process without assigning a reason.
Taken together, the eleven vacancies show the kind of institution the authority is trying to become. At the top, it needs a senior officer who understands cannabis policy, licensing and enforcement in remote areas, work few people in Pakistan have done before. Below that, it needs assistant directors from many disciplines and staff to run its offices and manage its licensing data. For candidates, the attraction is a regular federal post in a new organisation, so those who qualify should apply before November 20.
