Senior Loan Officer

About the company

LendGo is a fintech business focused on digital micro-lending, designed to provide quick, straightforward, and responsible personal loans to customers across Africa. The company is in an early growth stage and is building its launch team with driven professionals.

Role summary

This position is for a highly capable and target-oriented Senior Loan Officer with deep hands-on experience in Zambia’s fintech and digital lending space. The role calls for someone who has successfully grown a loan book, improved portfolio performance, limited credit losses, and maintained strong collection outcomes.

Core responsibilities

You will oversee loan book expansion, strengthen underwriting and risk controls, support fraud prevention, and improve recoveries across the lending lifecycle. The role also involves using data, automation, and predictive tools to improve lending decisions and customer outcomes.

Loan book growth and portfolio management

• Grow, oversee, and optimize a strong-performing lending portfolio.
• Create lending approaches that balance expansion, profit, and risk exposure.
• Track portfolio health and take corrective steps to protect asset quality.
• Support customer acquisition and repeat business through digital lending channels.

Credit risk and underwriting

• Build and refine advanced underwriting processes.
• Use non-traditional data and AI-based credit models to strengthen lending decisions.
• Develop methods to anticipate and reduce default risk.
• Continuously adjust credit rules based on portfolio results and market shifts.

Fraud prevention and risk control

• Lead fraud monitoring and prevention efforts throughout the loan journey.
• Keep lending operations aligned with regulatory expectations and accepted industry standards.

Collections and recoveries

• Design and run collections strategies that improve recovery performance.
• Measure collections results and introduce process improvements where needed.
• Apply predictive analytics to flag customers who may become delinquent.
• Coordinate internal teams and external collection partners.

Minimum requirements

• At least 8 years of experience in lending, credit risk, or digital finance.
• Proven ability to build and scale a loan book within a fintech, digital lender, or microfinance environment.
• Experience across consumer lending, SME lending, or unsecured lending products.
• Strong record of delivering high collection and recovery performance.
• Solid background in fraud prevention and credit risk management.
• Working knowledge of MNOs, credit bureaus, and digital lending practices.

Industry knowledge

• Strong understanding of Zambia’s credit laws and related regulations, including the Banking and Financial Services Act (BFSA) No. 9 of 2026, the Credit Reporting Act, 2018, and the Data Protection Act No. 3 of 2021.

Preferred qualifications

• A degree in Finance, Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Business, or a related discipline.
• Postgraduate study such as an MBA, CFA, FRM, or similar qualification is an advantage.
• Certifications in Credit Risk Management, Data Analytics, AI, or Financial Technology are a plus.

Ideal candidate profile

The ideal applicant is commercially focused, strong in analysis, and excited by the use of technology in lending. Experience in building and managing loan portfolios is essential, along with comfort using AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics to improve credit outcomes. This role suits someone with leadership ability, a practical mindset, and the ability to perform in a fast-moving fintech setting.

Performance expectations

• Consistently increase a profitable loan book.
• Maintain strong collection and recovery results.
• Reduce fraud and defaults through predictive analytics.
• Support innovation through AI and digital lending tools.
• Help build scalable lending operations for sustainable growth.

Additional information

The role is based in Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia, and is offered on a contract basis. The company notes an expectation of familiarity with the South African digital lending environment in addition to Zambia-focused experience.