Group Lending Loan Officer - Mt. Kenya

Role Overview

The Group Lending Officer manages the full cycle of group-based borrowing, from helping borrowers form and strengthen their groups to assessing loan applications, overseeing disbursement, and following up on repayments. The day-to-day work is field-focused and relationship-driven: facilitating group meetings, reviewing members' businesses, resolving repayment issues, and keeping loan records accurate. This position is central to a lending model that depends on group cohesion, shared accountability, and early intervention when repayment performance begins to slip.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, recruit, and screen potential group members, then help form or strengthen groups that meet the organisation's eligibility and group composition rules.
• Carry out pre-loan appraisals, including visits to members' businesses or households, to test repayment capacity, cash flow, and the viability of proposed loan use.
• Explain loan amounts, terms, interest, fees, repayment dates, and group guarantee obligations clearly before any loan is approved or disbursed.
• Prepare complete loan files, verify supporting documents, and present applications or recommendations to the relevant approving authority.
• Attend group meetings, collect repayments, reconcile payments against loan accounts, and act quickly on late or missed instalments.
• Coach groups and individual members on basic money management, record keeping, and loan utilisation so they can meet repayment obligations and qualify for future loans.
• Maintain accurate client, group, and collection records in the loan system, including identification details, meeting notes, and repayment histories.
• Spot signs of default risk, apply approved restructuring or recovery steps where appropriate, and escalate serious cases to a supervisor.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A diploma or degree in a business-related discipline such as business administration, finance, accounting, economics, or management.
• At least two years of direct experience in group lending, including group formation, loan appraisal, disbursement, and repayment follow-up.
• Working knowledge of group guarantee methods, joint liability principles, and the loan cycle used in group-based microcredit or community lending.
• Ability to assess repayment capacity and business viability using basic financial statements, cash flow estimates, and field-level verification.
• Strong numeracy and record-keeping skills, with confidence using loan management software, spreadsheets, or similar data-entry tools.
• Clear communication and facilitation skills for leading group discussions, explaining credit terms, and handling repayment conversations with sensitivity.
• Sound judgement, integrity, and the ability to apply credit policies consistently while working with limited direct supervision.
• Willingness to spend substantial time in the field with borrower groups and to manage a portfolio of group clients.