Credit Risk Manager

About the company

Network International is a major financial technology provider operating across the Middle East and Africa. Its main focus is payments, delivered across more than 50 countries, including key markets such as the UAE, Jordan, South Africa, and Egypt. Beyond payments, the business also works in data and insights, lending, insurance, and risk solutions, and it serves companies across different sizes and sectors, including a growing direct-to-consumer card segment.

Working culture

The organization emphasizes innovation, speed, and teamwork. It aims to support employees with opportunities to learn quickly, make decisive contributions, and build expertise alongside experienced industry professionals. The culture values trust, accountability, and results, with collaboration at the center of how the team operates.

Role summary

The Credit Risk Manager will play a key role in controlling merchant and client risk exposure within the Group’s approved appetite, with a strong focus on SME merchants and clients with significant exposure levels. The position serves as an important link between the risk function, merchant sales teams, and relationship managers, helping ensure that decisions and processes remain aligned with internal policy and procedures.

Key responsibilities

• Evaluate merchant risk exposure levels and monitor them on an ongoing basis.
• Analyze financial information and prepare credit risk assessment reports.
• Review incoming and existing merchant and client applications in line with the Group Credit Risk Policy.
• Carry out credit underwriting for SME merchants and clients carrying higher, enterprise-level exposure.
• Complete periodic exposure reviews for merchant and client portfolios as required by policy.
• Track exception reports regularly to identify early warning signs of credit deterioration or potential losses.
• Monitor portfolio performance to spot emerging risk patterns and recommend policy or process updates that reduce exposure.
• Build strong working relationships with sales and relationship management teams to resolve matters efficiently and avoid unnecessary escalation.
• Partner with compliance, risk, and legal teams to deliver balanced reviews that support both risk control and commercial goals.
• Ensure policies and procedures remain aligned with local regulatory requirements.
• Assess prospective merchants and client businesses through financial statement analysis and determine creditworthiness.
• Work with large datasets, financial models, and trading data, then present insights to senior leadership to support decision-making.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline such as Risk Management, Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration, along with a solid understanding of statistical methods and tools.
• Knowledge of payment products, services, and solutions.
• Strong verbal and written communication abilities, plus negotiation and presentation skills.
• Awareness of commercial conditions and trends in the payments industry.
• At least 3 years of experience in a credit risk position within a related field such as payments acquiring, banking, or financial services.
• Exposure to operations, payments, card operations, or merchant acquiring operations, with practical experience in process management, MIS, and data analysis.
• Good understanding of payment scheme requirements such as Visa and Mastercard, and familiarity with the card payments industry in the Middle East and Africa.
• Ability to work proactively and independently with limited supervision.

Additional information

This role requires regular interaction with internal stakeholders and a strong ability to balance risk control with business needs. The position is based in Kenya and is a full-time, onsite opportunity.