Head of Credit at SunCulture Kenya Ltd

About the Role: 

• The Head of Credit (PAYGrow) is accountable for the end-to-end performance of SunCulture’s PAYGrow financing portfolio, spanning credit strategy, underwriting, portfolio risk management, collections, recoveries, and repossessions.
• The role ensures that PAYGrow grows responsibly and profitably, balancing commercial expansion with disciplined credit risk management, strong cash recovery, regulatory compliance, and customer protection.

Key Responsibilities: 

PAYGrow Credit Strategy & Portfolio Performance

• Own and continuously refine the PAYGrow financing strategy across all cohorts and markets.
• Evaluate portfolio performance (Old vs New loan books, payplans, cohorts) and recommend structural improvements.
• Partner with Finance (CFO) to support PAYGrow funding, liquidity planning, and investor reporting.
• Provide accurate, timely portfolio performance updates to internal leadership, Board, and external stakeholders.
• Ensure portfolio growth aligns with risk appetite and operational capacity.

Credit Risk Management & Underwriting

• Design, refine, and enforce customer credit assessment and approval frameworks.
• Reduce underqualified sales and first payment defaults through improved eligibility, affordability, and scoring models.
• Define and manage credit risk KPIs (PAR 30/60, collection rate, recovery rate, churn rate, cure rate, ROI).
• Liaise with legal counsel to strengthen PAYGrow contracts and ensure compliance with local and international regulations.
• Ensure adherence to customer protection and consumer finance legislation in all jurisdictions.

 Collections, Recoveries & Repossessions

• Take full ownership of collections and recovery strategy and execution.
• Design and manage structured collections approaches (CX call center, field collections, repossessions).
• Implement escalation frameworks, settlement offers, restructures, and incentive mechanisms.
• Oversee repossession processes, controls, asset tracking, and recovery value optimization.
• Reduce aging arrears, write-offs, and cost-to-collect while protecting customer experience.

Systems, Data & Analytics

• Optimize credit systems and workflows across origination, repayment, collections, and repossession.
• Partner with IT/ Software, BI, Data, Operations, and Product teams to enhance system reliability and automation.
• Define and maintain robust dashboards for operational, executive, and Board-level reporting.
• Ensure data accuracy, completeness, and consistency across all credit lifecycle stages.

Governance, Compliance & Audit

• Oversee all credit-related audits and internal control processes.
• Ensure strong credit risk governance and closure of audit findings.
• Act as the credit risk custodian for PAYGrow operations in Kenya and supported markets.
• Coordinate external audits and regulatory engagements related to PAYGrow financing.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Build, scale, and lead high-performing credit, collections, and recovery teams.
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, KPIs, and performance management frameworks.
• Identify training and development needs to strengthen technical and leadership capacity.
• Act as a culture ambassador, embedding SunCulture values, accountability, and ownership.

You Might Be a Great Fit If:

• You are a strategic thinker with strong execution discipline.
• You are a data-driven decision-maker
• You have strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• You are comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-evolving environments.
• You are a hands-on leader with field and operational exposure.
• You have high integrity, an ownership mindset, and problem-solving orientation.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Lock versus Unlock Rate.
• Early Delinquency Rate (EDR).
• First Payment Default (FPD).
• PAR > 30 Days.
• PAR > 60 Days.
• Total PAR (% Arrears).
• Collection Recovery Rate—CRR (Monthly Collection Rate).
• Cure Rate (Reactivation Rate).
• Churn Rate (Attrition Rate).
• Recovery Against Write-offs.
• Improvement of first contact aftersales resolution rate.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Credit Management, Microfinance, or related field.
• 8+ years’ experience in consumer or asset financing, preferably PAYGo / PAYGrow / fintech / solar. financing with 3 years team leadership experience.
• Strong credit risk, collections, and portfolio management experience.
• Experience building and managing operational credit teams.
• Strong data analysis, financial modeling, and dashboarding capability.
• Proven ability to engage senior leadership, Board members, and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in financial modeling and comfort with in-depth data analysis.
• Strong analytical skills and strategic thinker with strong negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Willing and able to both make and execute hard decisions - own the process, the strategy, and the final outcome.
• Able to manage a variety of large tasks with competing timelines and priorities.
• You enjoy being in the field, but also able to work strategically with the other senior executives.

Preferred

• Experience financing farmers, low-income consumers, or PAYGo energy products.
• Multi-market or rapid-growth environment experience.
• Exposure to IoT-enabled asset financing models.