Head of Credit - South South at Koolboks

Job Summary:

• We are hiring a proactive and experienced Head of Credit to manage credit operations across the South-South region. This role is based in Benin City and will oversee lending activities in Warri and Port Harcourt. The successful candidate will bring a strong background in micro-lending, fintech lending platforms (e.g., Palmpay, Opay), or microfinance institutions, and must be capable of working directly with clients and field teams.
• The Head of Credit will be responsible for building and maintaining a strong regional loan portfolio, leading credit evaluations, managing a team of officers, and maintaining compliance with company and regulatory policies. This role requires extensive field engagement and the ability to guide sales teams in identifying and assessing credible borrowers.

Key Responsibilities:

Credit Operations & Management

• Direct all credit operations in Benin, Warri, and Port Harcourt.
• Define and enforce credit standards and procedures tailored to the regional market.
• Monitor credit performance, PAR levels, and delinquency rates.
• Oversee loan approvals, disbursement processes, and recovery efforts.

Field Evaluation & Sales Collaboration

• Work hand-in-hand with sales agents to assess customer viability at the point of sale.
• Conduct on-site visits to evaluate customer businesses and validate loan requests.
• Ensure credit decisions are data-driven and reflect real-time client assessments.

Team Leadership & Performance

• Lead a credit team consisting of 1 CRO, 1 Loan Officer, and 1 Recovery Agent in the region.
• Drive performance through KPIs, coaching, and structured credit evaluation processes.
• Promote accountability, transparency, and efficiency in the field.

Risk & Compliance Oversight

• Ensure adherence to internal credit policies and external regulatory frameworks.
• Mitigate risks through sound portfolio management and consistent loan monitoring.
• Maintain up-to-date client documentation, including KYC, affordability checks, and site verifications.

Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Report regional credit performance to the National Head of Credit.
• Collaborate with product, technology, and operations teams to enhance credit systems.
• Participate in strategic planning and regional expansion efforts.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years in credit, lending operations, or collections within fintech lending platforms, consumer finance, or microfinance banks.
• Strong credit evaluation and recovery background.
• Experience managing teams and delivering performance across multiple locations.
• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or related discipline (MBA or industry certification preferred).
• Familiarity with lending in the South-South region is a strong advantage.

Key Skills & Attributes:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and team leadership.
• Strong communication and negotiation abilities.
• Field-oriented with willingness to travel frequently.
• Analytical mindset with ability to assess and mitigate credit risks.
• Commitment to ethical lending practices and financial inclusion.