Dr. Irfan Zafar is a senior civil engineering academic and practitioner with over 20 years of experience in academic governance, engineering education leadership, and delivering complex, large-scale infrastructure projects. He currently serves as the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the National University of Technology (NUTECH), where he provides strategic leadership in curriculum development, international accreditation, faculty governance, and industry collaboration.
His professional expertise includes construction engineering and management, FIDIC-based contract administration, claims and dispute resolution, and commercial strategy. He has gained this experience through senior leadership roles on major hydropower and national infrastructure projects. Dr. Irfan is well known for incorporating industry best practices into engineering education, improving institutional quality and relevance, and promoting high-value project delivery through technical excellence, sound governance, and effective stakeholder engagement.
Head of the Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Technology (NUTECH), Islamabad
- Provides strategic academic leadership for undergraduate engineering programs aligned with ABET and Washington Accord outcome-based education (OBE) frameworks.
- Leads curriculum modernization, program review, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts.
- Oversees faculty recruitment, workload management, mentoring, and performance evaluations.
- Manages the entire student lifecycle, including admissions, advising, assessment, retention, and graduation.
- Enhances industry–academia collaboration through internships, capstone projects, and applied research.
- Supervises academic budgets, laboratories, and infrastructure in accordance with health, safety, and sustainability standards.
- Represents engineering programs during international accreditation reviews and at external academic forums.
Project Director (Contracts & Claims)
Diamer Bhasha Dam Project (DBDP), Frontier Works Organization (FWO)
- Led the Contracts and Claims Department for one of Pakistan’s most significant hydropower projects
- Directed preparation and negotiation of EoT, cost, and variation claims under FIDIC contracts
- Advised senior management on commercial strategy, risk mitigation, and dispute resolution
- Led DAB and arbitration preparation and supervised multidisciplinary claims teams
Deputy Director (Design & Coordination)
Integrated Border Management System (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Frontier Works Organization (FWO)
- Defined and implemented infrastructure design strategies and technical standards
- Coordinated with international consultants, stakeholders, and Saudi authorities
- Ensured regulatory compliance and technical integration across project components
Project Director (Planning & Construction)
45 Engineer Division, Rawalpindi
- Managed large-scale infrastructure projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.
- Oversaw design, construction, safety, QA/QC, and stakeholder coordination in remote and high-risk environments.
Deputy Director (Engineering Consultancy)
Directorate of Design & Consultancy (DD&C), Engineer-in-Chief's Branch , Rawalpindi
- Directed national-level infrastructure and energy consultancy assignments
- Strengthened client relations, enhanced project acquisition, and improved quality systems.
- Led multidisciplinary teams in design development, risk analysis, and contract administration.
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering, National University of Science & Technology (NUST), Risalpur
- Taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in construction management, risk management, safety, and contracts
- Principal Investigator for funded research on construction safety culture, cost overruns, and productivity
- Supervised MS theses and published in leading international journals
