Head, SME & Clean Energy at HRD Solutions

Job Summary

• The Head, SME & Clean Energy will be a pivotal leader responsible for providing strategic growth, direction, oversight, and operational effectiveness of company's MSME loan portfolio.
• This role is crucial in driving growth, minimizing credit losses, optimizing recovery rates, and maintaining a healthy loan portfolio.
• He/she will drive the development and implementation of robust strategies, lead and empower a high-performing team, and ensure strict adherence to all regulatory and ethical guidelines.

Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Management:

• Driving the entire MFB’s SME products ranging from One Million Naira to One Hundred Million Naira across the six geopolitical zones and Payroll lending Segment in Nigeria.
• Developing and maintaining market dominance by ensuring acquisition, retention and month on month growth in acquisition and loan conversion in the market segment.
• Reviewing and analyzing the market developments and appraising present portfolio performance in view of existing strategy objectives.
• Develop, implement, and continuously refine comprehensive loan recovery strategies for SME & Clean Energy portfolio, focusing on reducing the Non-Performing Loan (NPL) portfolio.
• Working closely with our partners to ensure Energy Solution Products are sold on a monthly basis through the various branches across the MFBs network to ensure alternative energy products are made available to existing and new SME customers.
• Working closely with branches and zones to ensure Zero PAR policy is encouraged and 100% collection is achieved in assigned portfolio.
• Conduct in-depth analysis of the SME & Clean Energy NPL portfolio, identifying high-risk segments, root causes of delinquency, and opportunities for proactive intervention.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for team members, ensuring continuous improvement in operational indicators and efficiency.

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement:

• Ensure that SME Relationship Managers responsible for SME and Clean Energy loan disbursement, together with Zonal Business Heads, State Business Heads, Branch Managers, and supervisors, consistently grow the SME and Clean Energy loan portfolio on a monthly basis in line with the Bank’s budgeted targets.
• Collaborate closely with Zonal and Segment Heads to drive nationwide visibility and awareness of the MFB across all locations where the major competitors currently operates branches.
• Evaluate and enhance existing recovery policies, procedures, and tools, benchmarking against industry best practices.
• Ensure the company's app and Merchant POS are properly utilized by all SME customers and also provide responsive feedback to both product and engineering areas that need urgent improvement.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Relationship Officers and Branch Managers, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and ethical conduct.
• Continuously review team capabilities and training needs, and develop and ensure the effective execution of comprehensive training and development plans.
• Conduct performance reviews, providing constructive feedback and identifying areas for further growth and development.

Stakeholder Engagement & Compliance:

• Cultivate strong working relationships with key internal departments (Credit, Risk, Legal, Audit, Retail & Corporate) and external partners (legal firms, law enforcement agencies).
• Ensure all activities strictly adhere to Company's policies, regulatory guidelines, and ethical standards, mitigating compliance and reputational risks.
• Keep abreast of key industry developments including regulatory charges, competitors market analysis, economic and political disruptions that may hinder the stability of the portfolio and warn management ahead of time to such potential risk; while proffering proactive recommendations to reduce losses to the MFB.

Reporting & Future Planning:

• Establish and maintain a robust and timely reporting framework for SME & Clean Energy performance, providing actionable insights to senior management.
• Develop and present a comprehensive monthly performance dashboard, including key metrics such as Loan disbursed, Loan portfolio growth, Portfolio at Risk (PAR), recovery rates, collection rates, and team performance.
• Formulate a strategic roadmap for the team, incorporating lessons learned, market trends, and future growth opportunities.

Key Performance Indicators

• Disbursement Target: Maintain a consistent monthly disbursement average of ₦20 Billion for SME and Clean Energy portfolios.
• Product Penetration: Achieve a 90% cross-sell rate of Clean Energy products among the existing SME customer base.
• Portfolio Quality: Systematically reduce Non-Performing Loans (NPL) to ensure that by December 2026, Portfolio at Risk (PAR) is below 3% for SMEs and 2% for Clean Energy.
• Credit Excellence: Ensure a 0% PAR for all new loan originations within the SME and Clean Energy sectors.
• Digital Transformation: Drive digital adoption to ensure 90% of SME clients are actively using mobile apps, internet banking, and debit cards.
• Relationship Officer Productivity: Meet 100% of new client mobilization targets while maintaining an average of 80 borrowers per SME Relationship Officer.
• Capacity Building: Complete 100% of scheduled training for all SME Relationship Managers within the period.

Requirements
Education and Experience:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field. A Master's degree or relevant professional certification (e.g., in credit management, risk management) is a significant advantage.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in the SME space, loan recovery, or credit management within the financial services sector, with a strong preference for experience in microfinance.

Knowledge:

• Proven track record of successfully leading and managing SME teams.
• In-depth knowledge of SME loan products, credit cycles, and recovery best practices.
• Strong understanding of relevant regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements.

Skills/Compentencies

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop and execute effective recovery strategies.
• Analytical Prowess: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data and identify trends.
• Leadership & Team Management: Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop a diverse team.
• Negotiation & Communication: Excellent negotiation, communication (written and verbal), and interpersonal skills.
• Results-Oriented: Proven ability to drive results and achieve targets in a challenging environment.
• Integrity & Ethics: Unwavering commitment to ethical practices and compliance.
• Technological Proficiency: Familiarity with recovery software, data analytics tools, and reporting systems.

Salary
To be discussed.