Recovery Manager at Sabi

Job Summary

• We are seeking an experienced Recovery Manager, who will be responsible for managing and coordinating the bank’s collections and recovery activities to minimize loan defaults, reduce non-performing loans (NPL), and ensure the overall health of the loan portfolio. The role oversees early-stage, late-stage, and field collections teams, ensures adherence to recovery strategies, and drives efficiency in delinquency management across micro, SME, digital, and ecosystem-linked lending. The role plays a critical role in safeguarding the bank’s asset quality through proactive monitoring, workflow optimization, and effective engagement with customers, guarantors, and recovery partners.

What you will be doing

Collections and Recovery Leadership

• Lead, supervise, and coordinate in-house collections teams (early, mid, and late-stage).
• Oversee field recovery activities, including skip tracing, customer visits, and asset repossession (where applicable).
• Implement and refine recovery strategies to reduce PAR and NPL ratios.
• Manage outsourced recovery partners and ensure performance against agreed SLAs.

Portfolio Monitoring and Delinquency Management

• Conduct daily monitoring of overdue accounts and ensure timely follow-up by the collections team.
• Analyse repayment patterns, identify root causes of defaults, and recommend interventions.
• Develop and execute targeted action plans for high-risk or deteriorating accounts.
• Track and escalate critical delinquent accounts to the Credit Risk Manager or Legal team when required.

Process Improvement and Operations Controls

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of customer repayment status and recovery actions taken.
• Ensure recovery documentation, including call logs, visit reports, and repayment promises, is complete and compliant.
• Strengthen internal controls to prevent fraud, misapplication of payments, or operational lapses.
• Recommend improvements to credit and collections workflows to enhance efficiency and customer experience.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with the Credit Risk Manager to align recovery actions with risk appetite and credit policies.
• Collaborate with Loan Operations, Sales, and Field Agents to resolve account issues quickly.
• Liaise with Legal for escalated matters including recovery litigation, demand notices, repossessions, and enforcement.
• Provide customer education on repayment obligations, loan terms, and restructuring processes.

Team Management and Performance Development

• Lead, coach, and develop collections officers and field recovery staff.
• Conduct weekly performance reviews and set clear productivity targets.
• Ensure recovery teams adhere to compliance, customer protection guidelines, and ethical conduct.
• Provide training on negotiation, root-cause analysis, and conflict management.

Reporting and Analytics

• Prepare accurate monthly and quarterly loan performance reports.
• Track and present key metrics including:
• PAR ratios (PAR 1, 7, 30, 60, 90+)
• Roll rates
• NPL trends
• Collections efficiency
• Promise-to-pay (PTP) fulfillment
• Provide insights and recommendations to leadership to improve portfolio health

Requirements
Special Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in collections or loan recovery, preferably in microfinance, digital lending, or retail/SME credit.
• Strong experience managing recovery teams and field operations.
• Working knowledge of Microfinance regulatory requirements and CBN guidelines.
• Experience handling legal escalations, repossessions, and third-party recovery agents.
• Evidence of achieving low delinquency and improved portfolio quality.
• Strong collections and negotiation skills.
• Deep understanding of credit risk and portfolio dynamics.
• Strong field recovery coordination and customer engagement experience.
• Ability to manage difficult customers professionally.
• Process-oriented and documentation-focused.