Operations Manager

Our client is a rapidly expanding fintech and financial services organization delivering complex lending, financial inclusion, and institutional partnership programs across Africa. As the company scales, they are increasingly engaged in high-impact initiatives involving governments, banks, telecommunications providers, development partners, and large beneficiary populations.

They are looking to hire an Operations Manager to lead the development, execution, and growth of the lending and asset-financing portfolio, with a strong focus on the FMCG sector and emerging markets across Nigeria. 
The Operations Manager will be responsible for developing and managing lending strategy, portfolio growth, credit partnerships, and lending operations. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in asset financing, consumer lending, SME lending, commercial lending, or fintech lending, with a strong understanding of the Nigerian market. Experience in Northern Nigeria and familiarity with FMCG businesses, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and other commercial ecosystems will be highly valued.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute overall lending and asset-financing strategy.

• Develop lending products and financing structures for FMCG businesses, distributors, retailers, SMEs, and other target customers.

• Establish and maintain relationships with banks, financial institutions, employers, FMCG companies, distributors, and strategic financing partners.

• Develop credit and lending policies in collaboration with Risk, Credit, and Compliance teams.

• Establish appropriate lending criteria, pricing, repayment structures, and portfolio limits.

• Oversee the end-to-end lending process, from customer acquisition and application through approval, disbursement, repayment, and collections.

• Monitor portfolio performance, delinquency, defaults, recoveries, and overall portfolio quality.

• Work closely with the Risk and Credit teams to strengthen underwriting and credit assessment processes.

• Identify opportunities for asset-backed financing and structured lending.

• Develop strategies to expand lending operations into underserved and emerging markets.

• Lead lending initiatives and partnerships across Northern Nigeria and other strategic markets.

• Analyze market trends, customer demand, competitor lending products, and portfolio performance.

• Develop and monitor lending KPIs, including loan growth, approval rates, disbursement, portfolio-at-risk, default rates, and recovery rates.

• Ensure lending activities comply with applicable regulatory, risk, and internal governance requirements. • Lead, mentor, and develop the lending team.

• Present lending performance, portfolio risks, and growth strategies to senior management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Banking, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field. A Master’s degree or relevant professional qualification is an advantage.

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in lending, banking, financial services, fintech, asset financing, consumer finance, SME lending, or commercial lending.

• Proven experience managing or leading a lending portfolio.

• Strong knowledge of credit undePFrwriting, loan structuring, portfolio management, collections, and credit risk.

• Experience developing and implementing lending products and financing programs.

• Experience in the Nigerian lending or financial-services market is required.

• Experience working in Northern Nigeria is highly desirable.

• Experience with FMCG financing, distributor financing, SME financing, asset financing, or supply-chain financing is an advantage.

• Strong understanding of Nigerian consumer and commercial lending dynamics.

• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with banks, financial institutions, corporations, distributors, and strategic partners.

• Strong financial analysis, risk assessment, negotiation, and decision-making skills.

• Strong leadership and team-management capabilities.

• Experience working within a fintech or technology-driven lending environment is an advantage.

Key Performance Indicators

• Growth of the lending portfolio

• Loan disbursement and revenue growth

• Portfolio quality and repayment performance

• Reduction of delinquency and default rates

• Customer acquisition and retention

• Lending partnership development

• Expansion into strategic markets

• Overall profitability and sustainability of the lending portfolio