Business Development Officers

Role Overview

You will operate as a front-line lending professional, spending your days identifying potential borrowers, marketing loan products, and guiding applications from first contact through to disbursement. On a weekly basis you will be measured against clear volume and value targets, making steady business development and disciplined credit assessment central to your routine. Your work directly supports the institution's growth and profitability while enabling access to credit for individuals and small enterprises.

Key Responsibilities

• Prospect and secure new loan clients each week, consistently meeting individual volume and value performance targets that feed into the organisation's broader goals.
• Establish and nurture durable working relationships with business partners, vendors, and existing customers to encourage repeat and referral business.
• Perform thorough credit assessments by reviewing applicants' financial status, credit history, and any relevant property or collateral documentation to judge repayment feasibility.
• Prepare and maintain up-to-date credit and loan files, ensuring all documentation is complete, accurate, and compliant with internal policies.
• Design and execute practical marketing plans that promote the company's loan products and services to the segments you serve.
• Monitor repayment behaviour and initiate recovery actions for overdue accounts, always balancing firmness with customer care.
• Compile financial projections aimed at sustainable growth and profitability, and use them to inform weekly and monthly planning.
• Track microfinance and economic developments, then present recommendations to leadership on product adjustments, risk management, or market opportunities.
• Coordinate with external service providers — such as valuers, insurers, and legal contacts — to keep loan processing efficient and compliant.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Diploma in business administration, finance, economics, marketing, or another business-related field; a bachelor's degree is an advantage.
• A minimum of one to two years of practical experience in loan origination, credit assessment, or client-facing financial services is strongly preferred.
• Well-developed negotiation skills with the ability to reach mutually agreeable terms on interest rates, repayment schedules, and recovery plans.
• Demonstrated capacity to handle sensitive personal and financial information with confidentiality, tact, and discretion.
• High level of integrity and dependability, particularly when dealing with cash, client records, and approval decisions.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build productive working relationships across functions, including with collections, operations, and partner teams.
• Excellent presentation and oral communication skills, with a clear, pleasant manner and a genuine drive to be understood by clients from varied backgrounds.
• Competence in basic financial analysis and the willingness to work with spreadsheets and loan management systems.