Relationship Officer - Emali

Role Overview

As a field-facing credit professional, you will be the primary link between the institution and its borrowers, balancing the push for new business with the discipline of timely collections. Your daily work involves assessing applicant eligibility, issuing approved funds, monitoring repayment behaviour, and stepping in early when accounts show signs of stress. This role matters because a healthy loan book depends on officers who can win trust on the front end and recover payments tactfully on the back end, protecting the company's liquidity and reputation.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and approach prospective clients, presenting loan products that match their needs and converting qualified leads into funded applications.
• Maintain an active pipeline of repeat and referral business by nurturing existing customer relationships and responding promptly to inquiries.
• Evaluate loan applications by verifying applicant information, assessing repayment capacity, and ensuring documentation is complete and compliant with internal policy.
• Meet monthly disbursement targets while adhering to credit risk guidelines and avoiding overexposure to any single borrower or sector.
• Monitor outstanding accounts closely, follow up on overdue payments through calls, visits, or written reminders, and negotiate realistic repayment plans that keep accounts from defaulting.
• Document every client interaction and payment agreement accurately, updating records so that collection status is always transparent and auditable.
• Resolve customer complaints and service gaps quickly, escalating complex cases to supervisors while keeping the client informed throughout the process.
• Provide regular reports on portfolio performance, collection rates, and client feedback to support better lending decisions.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, economics, or a related commercial discipline.
• At least two years of hands-on experience as a loan officer, collection officer, or relationship officer within a bank, microfinance institution, or similar lending environment.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with a wide range of clients, from first-time borrowers to established business owners.
• Strong customer-service orientation — able to remain patient, professional, and solution-focused even when dealing with difficult or financially stressed customers.
• Practical negotiation skills for reaching loan terms and repayment settlements that satisfy both the client and the institution.
• Sound numeric literacy and attention to detail for reviewing financial documents and tracking repayment schedules.
• Self-discipline and resilience to work under target pressure while maintaining ethical conduct and compliance with credit regulations.