Teamlead, Microfinance Business at Wema Bank Plc

The Candidate will be responsible for managing the bank's entire value chain with Microfinance Banks and Microfinance Institutions. This involves originating and managing relationships to provide them with commercial banking services (liabilities, credit lines, treasury products) while simultaneously acting as a trusted advisor on their portfolio health, operational efficiency, and regulatory adherence. The candidate will be the bridge between the bank's commercial interests and the stability of the microfinance ecosystem. The Teamlead will supervise the development and management of bespoke digital financial solutions or core banking application (CBA) that can be bundle-sold for usage by respective segments. The TL will manage various Vertical Managers responsible for the product management and sales of the products.

Key Responsibilities 

Business Development & Relationship Management 

• Portfolio Growth: Drive the acquisition and onboarding of new Microfinance Banks and Institutions as customers of the commercial bank. Manage a portfolio of existing MFI/MFB relationships to deepen wallet share. 
• Technology Adoption: Drive adoption of technology solutions/APIs suited for the daily banking services. Develop, manage or white label core banking application (CBA) for the partners. 
• Value Chain Financing: Structure and pitch wholesale credit facilities, contingent facilities, and liability products (CASA, Term Deposits) tailored to the cash flow and growth cycles of MFBs/MFIs. 
• Cross-Selling: Identify opportunities to cross-sell the bank's suite of products, including trade services, treasury management, digital payment solutions, and banking partnerships. 
• Pipeline Management: Develop and execute a go-to-market strategy for the microfinance sector, tracking performance against balance sheet and revenue targets. 

Credit & Portfolio Advisory 

• Due Diligence: Lead the commercial and operational due diligence process for onboarding MFB clients, assessing their lending methodologies, portfolio at risk (PAR), and management quality.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Review the financial health, asset quality, and capital adequacy of partner MFIs/MFBs to ensure the bank's exposure remains healthy. 
• Advisory Support: Advise MFI partners on best practices in credit risk management, product diversification, and interest rate setting to help them maintain a healthy portfolio that protects the bank's downstream risk.  

Regulatory & Compliance Liaison 

• Intermediary Compliance: Ensure that all dealings with MFBs comply with the Central Bank's regulations regarding financial institutions, including lending limits, related party transactions, and reporting requirements. 
• Advisory on MFI Compliance: Guide MFI partners (which may be non-bank financial institutions) on their own regulatory obligations (e.g., KYC/AML standards, consumer protection laws) to ensure they remain in good standing, thereby securing the bank's indirect risk. 4. Product Innovation & Ecosystem Development 
• Value Chain Solutions: Collaborate with the Product team to design banking solutions that address specific friction points in the MFI value chain (e.g., automated bulk disbursement/collection APIs, agent liquidity management).
• Market Intelligence: Monitor trends in the microfinance sector, including digital lending, fintech partnerships, and agricultural finance, to identify new business opportunities for the bank. • Thought Leadership: Represent the bank at industry conferences and regulator meetings to position the bank as the partner of choice for the microfinance sector

Minimum Requirements: 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field. An MBA or master's degree is strongly preferred.
• Experience: 8–12 years of experience in commercial banking, financial institutions group (FIG), or microfinance lending.
• Great Interpersonal and Communication Skills.