Lending Lead at AjoCard Limited
AjoCard is a financial technology company focused on making it easy for the underserved and unbanked to manage their money and make payments securely and conveniently. We aim to empower them to take control of their finances and deliver on purpose which making ‘Banking to everyoneâ a reality.Role Overview
The Lending Lead is responsible for driving the overall lending strategy, ensuring profitable portfolio growth, robust credit quality, and compliance with regulatory standards. The role requires a balance of strategic leadership, operational excellence, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver innovative lending solutions that align with business goals.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Define and execute the lending strategy across retail, MSME, and digital loan products.
Lead the lending, credit, and recovery teams to achieve performance targets.
Build a high-performance culture through recruitment, training, coaching, and mentoring.
Effectively acquire and penetrate new market and market environment.
Champion a customer-centric lending culture while balancing risk and returns.
Credit & Risk Management
Oversee end-to-end lending operations: credit assessment, approval, disbursement, monitoring, restructuring, and recovery.
Implement data-driven credit scoring models and portfolio monitoring and reporting tools.
Ensure compliance with CBN, NDIC, and MFB lending regulations.
Develop early warning systems for delinquency management.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
Work closely with the Product & Engineering teams to digitize and improve lending processes and launch new loan products.
Partner with Finance for funding strategies, loan pricing, and cost of risk management.
Collaborate with Marketing & Sales to drive loan uptake and customer engagement.
Engage with regulators, industry bodies, and external partners to strengthen credibility and market presence.
Innovation & Growth
Drive and sustain automation of lending lifecycle (onboarding → approval → disbursement → collections).
Manage partnerships, agent networks, and alternative distribution channels to scale reach.
Initiate and oversee continuous improvement of products, processes, and customer experience.
Core Competencies
Strong leadership with ability to inspire, coach, and scale teams.
Advanced knowledge of credit risk management, MFB operations, and fintech lending models.
Proven experience in cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
High adaptability in a fast-paced, tech-driven environment.
Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills.
Strong regulatory and compliance acumen (CBN/MFB guidelines).
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Portfolio Growth: Achieve monthly/quarterly loan disbursement targets.
Portfolio Quality: Maintain PAR > 30 days below 2%.
Recovery Efficiency: Attain ≥ 95% recovery of overdue loans.
Product Innovation: At least 2 new/improved lending products launched annually.
Team Leadership: ≥ 90% target achievement across lending/credit team.
Collaboration Impact: Demonstrated success of cross-functional initiatives (e.g., product launches, campaigns).
Regulatory Compliance: Zero penalties from regulators.
