South Africa Job Opportunities – Head of Credit and Risk

Reporting Line

The Head of Credit & Risk will report to the Chief Executive Officer – Select Retail.

Main Purpose of the Role

1. Taking overall control and responsibility for Group Credit & Risk Policies. This will include drafting/recommending/amending/updating/implementing changes required to the Group credit, risk and collections strategies to ensure that they remain relevant in terms of balancing risk perceptions and appetites with new business requirements.
2. Monitoring legislative and compliance matters in all countries of operation and assisting the senior management team and board of directors in each country of operation to ensure compliance to applicable legislation in all countries of trade and to reduce the risk of failed collections by implementing appropriate interventions.
3. Maintaining awareness of regional, international and market segment risks that might impact the overall payment and collections performance and taking appropriate action to prevent or reduce the impact thereof to the business.
4. Conducting periodic reviews of historic collections results and trends, analysing same and making recommendations to the Technical Advisory Committee (“TAC”) to adjust and/or amend credit policies, collections mechanisms and/or collections processes based on the interpretation of such information.
5. Playing a leading role in the ongoing development of the Group’s collections platforms, systems and solutions in order to ensure that our systems are continually refined and enhanced to ensure that our collections systems continually provide the Group with a competitive advantage. This will include periodic reviews of current workflows aimed at continuous enhancement of same to improve outcomes.
6. Developing, maintaining and owning risk models per product and per country, and drawing intelligence from same to periodically review outcomes.
7. Forming the bridge between senior management and local or regional management and motivating and influencing regional/country collections teams to perform at required levels.

Key Deliverables of the Head of Credit & Risk

1. Lead and guide central and regional collection teams to achieve and maintain a collections rate as budgeted.
2. Provide appropriate budget inputs to setting of these collections rates and targets.
3. Ensure the correct collections strategies are defined and implemented across all countries and silos to maintain loan book impairments within budgeted rates.
4. Be the custodian of all policies and procedures relating to credit granting, collections and general business conduct to ensure compliance to the legislation and corporate governance.
5. Maintain responsibility for the recruitment, retention and performance management of all collections personnel across the Group and ensure the collections team are adequately staffed and incentivised to deliver the expected results.
6. Source, contract and supervise all collections, trace and legal partners to ensure efficient external collections.
7. Ensure the availability of timeous, accurate and correctly presented information to support business decision making.
8. Maintain responsibility for the following Divisions:
   1. Payment Solutions.
   2. Later stage and off payroll collections.
   3. Early-stage collections from source.
   4. External Debt Collectors (“EDCs”) and Legal Associates.
9. Assist with the design and development of the collections and reporting utilities of the Group’s debtors’ management system, aimed at extracting maximum value from same. This will include developing and maintaining scoring models for different products in each country, and continually analysing the results of same in order to optimize outcomes.
10. Periodically review the credit policies and procedures at both a group and country level and propose necessary amendments to ensure that they remain relevant and provide the Group’s companies with the optimal balance between risk and business volumes.

The Candidate

We seek the following in our desired candidate:

Qualification Requirement

A relevant tertiary qualification (such as a B Com or B Com Law Degree) is highly preferred.

Experience / Background Preference

1. The company will only look at candidates who have no less than TEN years’ relevant, working experience in a similar role or a similar organisation.
2. Previous experience within Financial Services is essential.
3. Previous experience within the Microfinance industry will be advantageous.
4. Previous collections experience is essential. The successful candidate will have worked in a collections department.
5. Candidates with a legal background will receive preference. Please note that we are not looking for an admitted attorney. We require someone who understands the legal side of collections and who understands compliance.
6. Extensive experience in developing workflows and scoring models.
7. Highly computer literate, with extensive experience in data analytics and risk modelling.
8. A working understanding of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is essential.
9. Preference will be given to candidates who have collections experience in multi-national African Countries.
10. A strong command of English, both written and verbal, is a requirement of the job.

Key Competencies

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following ability:

1. Self-assurance and a confident manner.
2. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written.
3. Proven people management and leadership skills, preferably with people from different cultures and countries.
4. Strong analytical skills, with the ability to assess complex situations and use creativity to solve problems.
5. Highly computer literate, with extensive experience in data analytics and risk modelling.
6. Established negotiation skills.
7. Strong presentation skills.
8. A self-starter who shows initiative and assumes responsibility for projects.
9. Proven ability to operate independently and exercise significant latitude for independent judgement, discretion and action.
10. Ability to prioritise and handle multiple tasks within strict time frames within a fast-paced environment.
11. High energy levels.
12. Strong attention to detail.
13. Strategic thinking.
14. The ability to debate in a constructive manner and to challenge conventional wisdom.
15. The ability to build strong relationships with team members, company management and clients.
16. Ability to travel.

Location

The position is based at our Johannesburg office located at Illovo Edge Office Block, Building 4, 9 Harries Road, Illovo, Sandton.
By nature of the group, travel will be required from any staff member of the company from time to time. In this particular role the successful candidate should be prepared to travel a minimum of seven working days a month, possibly more.

Compensation

An annual cost to company remuneration package, which will be commensurate with the technical skills and experience of the successful candidate, plus bonus participation.

Please forward applications to Tracey Strong: strongt@africanalliance.com

If you do not hear from us within two weeks, please consider your application for this particular vacancy unsuccessful. In this instance, please be assured that we shall retain your application and will be in touch should a suitable opportunity arise in the future.