About Unifi

Unifi is a fast-growing consumer lending company operating in Zambia, South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya. Unifi delivers personal lending products through online, mobile phone and branch channels. The company is well supported by strong shareholders and a board of directors with vast experience in entrepreneurship and lending. 

Learn more about Unifi at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUrwaPmzU5E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh-EjDAMjas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl32BzxAHfA&t=26s

Role Purpose

The Head Credit Risk is responsible for overseeing the credit risk management function across the organisation. This includes developing, implementing, and maintaining credit risk policies, procedures and models to ensure the company’s credit exposure is aligned with its risk appetite and strategic objectives. The role requires strategic leadership, analytical expertise, and strong stakeholder management to mitigate credit risk while supporting business growth.

You will have a broad and impactful role, analysing data sets to identify factors correlated with credit risk outcomes and developing models to forecast consumer default likelihood. Your expertise will be crucial in integrating these models and data-driven approaches into operational processes to achieve better credit risk outcomes. Additionally, you will determine risk-based product pricing to meet profitability hurdles and collaborate with the finance team to build insights into customer profitability segments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the overall credit risk management strategy in alignment with the company's goals and regulatory requirements.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership to the credit risk management team, fostering a culture of risk awareness and continuous improvement.
• Develop, review, and update credit risk policies, frameworks, and procedures to ensure effective risk management practices, optimising profitability and driving financial success and expansion across Africa.
• Delve into complex data sets using SQL and other analytical tools to extract meaningful insights and detect trends.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and internal policies, adapting to changes in the regulatory environment.
• Oversee the assessment and analysis of credit risk exposures across all portfolios.
• Set risk-based pricing for financial products to ensure they meet specified profitability targets by analysing risk levels and adjusting pricing structures to maintain a balance between competitiveness and financial sustainability.
• Generate detailed insights into different customer profitability segments by collaborating with the finance team and other relevant stakeholders.
• Enhance the effectiveness of credit risk management strategies and leading to improved outcomes and reduced defaults
• Scrutinize data sets to uncover variables and trends associated with credit risk outcomes using statistical methods to inform risk assessment and decision-making processes.
• Create sophisticated credit risk models based on rigorous statistical analysis and machine learning techniques to predict the probability of consumer default and improve the accuracy of credit risk assessments.
• Implement robust credit risk models and tools to assess and monitor credit risk, ensuring timely identification and mitigation of potential risks.
• Monitor and manage the credit portfolio, ensuring diversification and alignment with risk appetite.
• Develop and implement strategies for managing non-performing loans and distressed assets.
• Collaborate with senior management, business units, and external stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive understanding of credit risk and its impact on business objectives.
• Collaborate closely with operational teams to embed credit risk models and data-driven methodologies into daily processes.
• Present credit risk reports and insights to the Board of Directors, Risk Committee, and other key stakeholders.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing credit risk management team, promoting professional growth and development.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment that encourages innovation and excellence.
• Liaise with regulatory bodies, auditors, and other external parties on matters related to credit risk management.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, and emerging risks in credit risk management.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of credit risk management processes.
  

Requirements

• Master's degree in Statistics, Data Science, Actuarial Science, or a related field
• Minimum of 8 - 10 years experience in a similar role on senior/executive level
• Strong experience developing predictive models for forecasting probability of default
• Experience and knowledge of provisioning approaches and calculation
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Travelling in Africa is required at least once per quarter