Head of Collections

FairMoney is a pioneering mobile banking institution specializing in extending credit to emerging markets. Established in 2017, the company currently operates primarily within Nigeria, and it has secured nearly €50 million in funding from renowned global investors, including Tiger Global, DST, and Flourish Ventures. 

In alignment with its vision, FairMoney is actively constructing the foremost mobile banking platform and point-of-sale (POS) solution tailored for emerging markets. The journey began with the introduction of a digital microcredit application exclusively available on Android and iOS devices. Today, FairMoney has significantly expanded its range of services, encompassing a comprehensive suite of financial products, such as current accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, and state-of-the-art POS solutions designed to meet the needs of both merchants and agents. **FairMoney thrives on its diverse workforce, bringing together talent from over 27 nationalities. This multicultural team drives the company’s mission of reshaping financial services for underserved communities.**To gain deeper insights into FairMoney’s pivotal role in reshaping Africa’s financial landscape, we invite you to watch informative video.

Job Responsibilities

End-to-End Ownership

• Full accountability for cash collected, arrears, roll-rates, PAR/NPL, and recovery economics
• Own outcomes, not activities or excuses
• Actively shape upstream inputs (Risk, Product, CX, Tech) to improve downstream collections performance

Strategy & System Design

• Design and execute a multi-horizon collections strategy thriugh short term cash optimization, mid term recovery improvement and long term customer behaviour change.

• Build structured approach to early vs late stage collections, segmentation driven treatment strategies and behavioural & incentive based interventions

• Introduce clear experimentation frameworks (control vs test, ROI-driven rollouts)

Data-Led Decision Making

• Use data to drive decisions
• Partner deeply with Risk and Data Science on roll-rate optimisation, behavioural analytics, treatment effectiveness measurement, unit economics and ROI of collections actions and demand transparent, decision-ready reporting with clear accountability

Team & Bench Strength

• Build a high-calibre leadership bench within Collections
• Upgrade talent decisively where required
• Develop leaders, not just agents
• Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Actively influence Product, Risk, Tech, and CX — do not wait for alignment
• Challenge constructively where design or policy decisions harm recoveries
• Be a respected, firm voice at senior leadership and ExCo forums

Customer & Brand Balance

• Improve collections outcomes without damaging long-term customer value
• Reduce escalations through system fixes, not firefighting
• Balance firmness with fairness through smarter design, not leniency

Time-Bound Success Expectations

First 90 Days (Stabilise & Diagnose)

• Take full ownership of collections performance and escalations
• Establish clear visibility on cash, arrears, roll-rates, and recovery drivers
• Identify and begin fixing the highest-impact structural blockers
• Deliver a credible, data-backed transformation roadmap with priorities and owners
• Reset accountability standards and leadership expectations within the team

First 6 Months (Deliver Step-Change)

• Demonstrate measurable improvement in cash collected, late stage roll rates and then cash-to-arrears & cash-to-instalment ratios
• Implement segmentation-driven treatment strategies at scale
• Reduce escalations and repeat failure points through system and process redesign
• Strengthen leadership bench with clear successors and upgraded capability

Requirements

• Minimum of first degree in any related field of study.
• Minimum of 8 years proven experience in Collections with good leadership experience.
• Senior leadership experience in collections within lending, fintech, or credit-led businesses
• Proven track record of turning around or materially improving collections performance
• Experience operating in data-rich, fast-moving environments
• This role is open only to applicants willing to spend at least one week per month in Nigeria.

Benefits

• 25 days paid vacation, Sick & Public Holidays to B2B contractors.
• Remote (timezone must have significant overlap with CET).
• Training & Development budget.
• Paid company business trips.
• Relocation allowance

Recruitment Process

• A screening interview with one of the members of the Talent Acquisition team.
• Technical interview with Global Head of Operations
• Business Case Study
• Final Interview with Chief Credit Officer