Head of Collections & Recovery

Our client a leading financial services institution providing credit solutions to individuals and SMEs is looking to hire a Head of Collections & Recovery to lead its end-to-end collections and recovery function.

The role will be responsible for safeguarding portfolio quality and driving performance across early-stage collections late-stage recovery repossession legal recovery and write-off management. The successful candidate will be expected to strengthen collections processes controls analytics and governance while ensuring that recovery activities are conducted in a compliant ethical and customer-focused manner. The position is based in Nairobi with countrywide travel as required and reports to the Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director with a dotted-line relationship to the Board Credit Committee.

• Develop and execute a robust collections and recovery strategy that supports portfolio quality and business growth.

• Reduce portfolio-at-risk (PAR) and non-performing loan (NPL) levels through proactive data-driven collection strategies.

• Strengthen early-stage collections and maximise cure rates while limiting migration of accounts into higher delinquency buckets.

• Drive recovery of non-performing and written-off accounts through settlements collateral realisation repossession and legal recovery.

• Establish strong controls governance and reporting standards across the collections and recovery function.

• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory consumer protection data protection and debt-collection requirements.

• Build and lead a high-performing ethical collections and recovery team including effective management of outsourced agencies and service providers.

• Provide accurate portfolio analytics recovery reporting and provisioning inputs to support management decision-making.

Strategy & Governance

• Develop and implement collections and recovery strategies policies and procedures aligned with applicable regulatory requirements and the organisations strategic objectives.

• Establish risk-based collection segmentation contact strategies and treatment paths across products and delinquency buckets.

• Monitor portfolio quality and recovery performance and provide regular reports to senior management and relevant governance committees.

• Strengthen controls and governance frameworks to ensure the collections function is effective auditable and sustainable.

Collections Operations

• Lead early-arrears collections through calls SMS field visits digital reminders and other appropriate collection channels.

• Develop strategies to maximise cure rates and minimise roll-forward into later delinquency buckets.

• Oversee restructuring rescheduling and settlement arrangements for viable customers in financial distress within approved policies and delegated authority.

• Manage the performance of external debt-collection agencies auctioneers and repossession agents including onboarding service-level agreements performance monitoring and conduct management.

Recovery & Legal

• Drive recovery of non-performing and written-off accounts through negotiated settlements collateral realisation and litigation.

• Oversee repossession and disposal processes to maximise recovery value while ensuring compliance with applicable laws and fair-treatment standards.

• Manage external legal counsel and monitor the legal recovery pipeline associated costs and turnaround times.

• Ensure effective tracking and follow-up of recovery cases through to resolution.

Compliance & Customer Treatment

• Ensure all collection and recovery activities comply with applicable data protection consumer protection and debt-collection requirements.

• Promote ethical and professional collection practices with zero tolerance for harassment unlawful practices or conduct that may expose the organisation to regulatory or reputational risk.

• Maintain complete and auditable records of collection and recovery activities.

• Ensure customer complaints relating to collections and recovery are appropriately investigated and resolved within agreed timelines.

Analytics & Reporting

• Develop and maintain collections dashboards and portfolio analytics to support decision-making.

• Analyse roll rates vintage performance delinquency trends and portfolio segmentation to identify emerging risks and opportunities.

• Provide accurate and timely portfolio reports and inputs required for provisioning and financial reporting.

• Use data and performance trends to continuously improve collection strategies and resource allocation.

People Leadership

• Lead coach and develop a high-performing collections and recovery team.

• Set clear individual and team targets performance measures and scorecards.

• Build a culture of accountability ethical conduct performance and continuous improvement.

• Effectively manage both internal teams and outsourced recovery partners.

Performance in the role will be assessed against agreed annual targets including:

• Portfolio at Risk (PAR 30): 5% of gross loan book.

• NPL Ratio: 8% in Year 1 with a longer-term target of 5%.

• Collection Efficiency: 97% of amounts contractually due.

• Early-Bucket Cure Rate: 60%.

• Roll-Forward Rate: 25% from the 3160 to 6190 day bucket.

• Written-Off Portfolio Recoveries: 20% annually.

• Repossession Cycle: 90 days from default trigger to disposal/settlement.

• Cost of Collections: 3% of amounts collected.

• Compliance & Conduct: Zero regulatory/conduct breaches and timely resolution of customer complaints.

• Reporting & Provisioning: 100% accuracy and timeliness with zero material audit findings.

• Bachelors degree in Finance Commerce Economics Law or a related field.

• A Masters degree will be an added advantage.

• Professional qualification such as CPA (K) ACCA CCP or another relevant credit-management qualification is preferred.

• At least 10 years experience in credit collections and recovery within banking microfinance or a related financial services environment.

• At least 5 years experience at senior management level.

• Demonstrable experience in reducing PAR and NPL ratios and improving portfolio quality.

• Strong experience managing collections recoveries repossession legal recovery and external recovery agencies.

• Strong understanding of credit risk collections strategy portfolio segmentation roll rates and vintage analysis.

• Good knowledge of IFRS 9 and provisioning requirements.

• Strong understanding of applicable regulatory consumer protection data protection and debt-recovery requirements.

• Experience in secured lending and recovery involving chattels motor vehicles land or other collateral will be an advantage.

• Strong reporting and analytical capabilities with the ability to translate portfolio data into actionable collection strategies.

• Proven experience managing large performance-driven collections teams and outsourced service providers.