Head of Sales & Marketing

Our client is a leading credit-only microfinance institution in Kenya currently executing a strategic transformation into a fully-fledged deposit-taking bank regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). Theyre currently looking to hire a Head of Sales & Marketing who will provide strategic and operational leadership for revenue growth customer acquisition brand development and product innovation across all channels driving a high-quality loan book and building the customer base deposit-ready product pipeline and market presence required for the Companys transition into a bank.

Strategy and Business Growth

• Develop and execute the annual sales and marketing strategy aligned to the corporate strategy and the banking transition roadmap.
• Grow the net loan book disbursement volumes and fee income across logbook loans title deed loans check-off loans asset finance LPO and import financing.
• Design the go-to-market plan for future bank products (savings transactional accounts deposits) so the Company launches with a ready customer pipeline upon licensing.
• Identify and open new branches agencies and partnership channels based on market intelligence and financial viability.

Sales Management

• Set cascade and monitor sales targets for regions branches relationship officers and digital channels; run monthly performance reviews.
• Build and enforce a sales governance framework that balances growth with credit quality ensuring first-payment default and early-arrears indicators remain within risk appetite.
• Drive cross-selling and customer retention programmes to increase products per customer and repeat borrowing.

Marketing Brand and Customer Experience

• Own the marketing budget and calendar; deliver campaigns with measurable return on marketing investment.
• Reposition the brand for the banking era ensuring all communication meets CBK consumer-protection and market-conduct standards.
• Champion customer experience complaints insights and Net Promoter Score improvement across all touchpoints.

Digital and Product Innovation

• Grow digital origination (mobile web USSD) as a share of total acquisition and reduce cost per acquisition.
• Lead product research development pricing and profitability reviews in liaison with Credit Risk and Finance.

Leadership and People

• Recruit coach and develop a high-performing salesforce; embed a performance and compliance culture.
• Prepare board and executive committee reports on sales marketing and market developments.

• Loan book growth: 30% year-on-year growth in net loan book

• Disbursements: KES 500M in average monthly new disbursements

• Customer acquisition: 1500 new active borrowing customers onboarded per month

• Portfolio quality: First-payment default rate on new sales 2%

• Product diversification: 3 new products launched including a board-approved bank-ready (deposit/transactional) pipeline

• Digital channel share: 40% of loan applications originated digitally

• Channel expansion: 5 new branches/agency outlets opened break-even within 12 months

• Marketing effectiveness: ROMI 5:1; cost per acquisition reduced by 15%

• Customer experience: NPS 60; CSAT 90%

• People leadership: 80% of sales staff meeting target; regretted attrition 10%

• Bachelors degree in Marketing Commerce Business Administration Finance or a related field; a Masters degree (MBA) is an added advantage.
• Professional qualification such as CIM MSK or equivalent; membership in a relevant professional body.
• At least 10 years experience in sales and marketing within banking microfinance or financial services 5 of which at senior management level.
• Demonstrable track record of growing a loan book or revenue line and leading multi-branch or regional sales teams.
• Working knowledge of CBK prudential and market-conduct requirements the Data Protection Act and consumer-protection regulations.

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen with strong numerical and analytical skills.

• Proven leadership coaching and performance-management capability.

• Deep understanding of digital marketing channel economics and product development.

• Excellent negotiation communication and stakeholder-management skills.

• High integrity results orientation and resilience in a fast-paced environment.