Head of Lending Products and Growth

Job Title: Head of Lending Products and Growth

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer / Chief Commercial Officer

Location: Ruiru

1. Job Purpose

To provide strategic leadership in the design, development, and optimization of lending products, with a focus on SMEs and underserved market segments. The role is responsible for driving sustainable portfolio growth through innovative, customer-centric, and risk-aligned financial solutions while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational efficiency.

2. Key Responsibilities
Product Strategy and Portfolio Leadership

• Define and execute the lending product strategy aligned to organizational growth objectives.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking product roadmap focused on scalability and market relevance.
• Identify emerging market opportunities and design differentiated financial solutions.
• Monitor and optimize product performance including portfolio growth, loan uptake, customer retention, and profitability.
  

Product Development and Customer Experience

•  Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of lending products from concept to rollout and continuous improvement.
• Design simple, accessible, and customer-centric financial products tailored to SME needs.
• Incorporate customer insights, behavioral data, and market feedback into product enhancements.
•  Collaborate with technology and operations teams to ensure seamless product delivery and user experience.

Credit and Risk Integration

•  Work closely with Credit and Risk teams to embed sound lending principles in product design.
  
• Ensure a balance between portfolio growth and credit quality.
  
• Monitor product-level risk performance including default rates and portfolio health.
  
•  Align product structures with risk appetite frameworks and underwriting policies.

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure all lending products comply with applicable financial regulations and internal policies.
  
• Support audit, compliance, and reporting requirements related to product performance.
  
• Promote ethical lending practices and customer protection principles.

 
Commercial Performance and Growth

• Drive revenue growth through product optimization, pricing strategies, and market expansion.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing teams to improve product positioning and market penetration.
• Develop strategies to increase conversion rates, reduce churn, and improve customer lifetime value.

Stakeholder Management and Leadership

•  Lead cross-functional collaboration across Credit, Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Technology teams.
• Communicate product strategy, performance insights, and key decisions to senior leadership.
•  Ensure alignment across departments for efficient product execution.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Loan book growth (monthly/quarterly portfolio expansion)
• Non-performing loan (NPL) ratio
•  Conversion rate (lead-to-loan success rate)
• Customer retention and repeat borrowing rate
  
• Time to market for new products
•  Product profitability (revenue vs cost)

3. Qualifications

•  Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field
• MBA or professional certifications are an added advantage
• Minimum of 7–10 years’ experience in financial services
• At least 4–5 years in a senior product, lending, or credit leadership role
• Strong understanding of SME lending and credit risk frameworks
• Proven experience in developing and managing lending products

4. Skills and Competencies

• Strong strategic thinking and product development skills
• Excellent analytical and data-driven decision-making ability
• Leadership and team management skills
•  Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
•  Commercial acumen and growth mindset
  
• Ability to balance risk and business performance
•  High level of integrity and professionalism