Strait Sahara Microfinance Bank is a fast-paced start-up Microfinance Bank, led by a group of talented, passionate, and skilled individuals who take the mission to re-invent banking using innovation and technology to provide high-quality service seriously. The goal is to empower generations by providing our customers with specific products and services to help them increase their net worth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head, Credit & Lending

Location: Ikoyi, Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Description

• The Head, Credit & Lending will be responsible for establishing and managing the Bank’s end-to-end credit and lending function, including credit policy development, loan origination, underwriting, portfolio management, and recovery strategy, in line with regulatory requirements and business objectives.
• The role involves designing credit frameworks, processes, and governance structures to support sustainable loan growth, portfolio quality, and risk-adjusted returns.
• The successful candidate will provide strategic direction on lending activities while ensuring strong credit discipline, effective delinquency management, and alignment with the Bank’s risk appetite within a startup digital microfinance banking environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the Bank’s credit and lending framework from inception.
• Design and maintain credit policies, underwriting standards, and approval processes.
• Oversee loan origination, appraisal, approval, and disbursement processes.
• Establish and manage digital lending models and credit scoring methodologies.
• Drive growth of the Bank’s loan portfolio across target segments (retail, SME, micro-lending).
• Monitor portfolio performance, including PAR, NPL ratios, and loan quality indicators.
• Design and implement collections, delinquency management, and recovery strategies.
• Ensure proper credit documentation, collateral management, and compliance standards.
• Work closely with Risk Management to ensure alignment with risk appetite and credit limits.
• Collaborate with Technology and Product teams to build automated lending processes.
• Ensure compliance with CBN credit guidelines and microfinance banking regulations.
• Prepare and present credit reports to Executive Management and Board Credit Committee.
• Establish and manage relationships with credit bureaus and other data providers.

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related disciplines
• Professional certifications such as CFA, ACCA, ACA, or Credit Risk certifications are an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of 12 years experience in Credit, Lending, or Risk Management within banking or financial services
• At least 7 years in a senior credit leadership role
• Strong experience in loan portfolio management, underwriting, and credit policy development
• Experience in microfinance banking or digital lending/fintech environment is highly desirable
• Demonstrated ability to develop credit frameworks, systems, and processes independently.

Other Requirements:

• High level of integrity and sound professional judgment
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Ability to operate effectively in a startup environment with evolving structures
• Capacity to build and implement credit and lending systems from ground zero
• Strong leadership and team development capability.

Skills:

• Strong expertise in credit risk assessment and loan underwriting
• Knowledge of digital lending models and credit scoring systems
• Experience in loan portfolio management and performance monitoring
• Understanding of collections, recovery, and delinquency management
• Strong analytical and financial evaluation skills
• Knowledge of CBN regulations and microfinance lending practices
• Ability to design and implement credit processes and frameworks
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management ability.

Remuneration

• Performance-based incentives
• Opportunity to lead a core revenue-generating function in a high-growth fintech bank.

Application Closing Date
25th May, 2026.