Head of Credit Risk Operations & Collections (m/f/d)

Charisma-Tec GmbH; Köln; Hybrid; EUR 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Charisma-Tec GmbH in Germany seeks a senior leader for strategic credit risk and collections across Europe. You will own the pan-European operational strategy across the credit lifecycle, from post-origination risk monitoring to early-stage dunning, late-stage collections, and legal recovery.

You will partner with underwriting, policy, and data science, refine risk models, and deploy data-informed intervention strategies.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in credit risk operations or debt recovery in banking/fintech.
• 4+ years in senior leadership across European markets.
• Proven ability to lead diverse, multicultural teams.
• Strong analytical skills with BI tools to derive risk actions.
• Solid understanding of European credit regulations and consumer protection.
• Excellent English and German communication.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute pan-European operational strategy across the credit lifecycle, from post-origination risk monitoring to early-stage dunning, late-stage collections, and legal recovery.
• Lead and manage credit risk, collections, and DCA operations across multiple European hubs.
• Collaborate with underwriting, policy, and data science to refine risk models and cut-offs based on feedback.
• Develop proactive, data-informed intervention strategies for pre-delinquent customers and arrears segments.
• Promote DEI and build career growth for remote and on-site staff.
• Set performance expectations and coach managers across borders.
• Track KPIs like default rates, NPLs, roll rates, DSO, and cost-to-collect.

Skills

Credit risk

People leadership

Multicultural teams

SQL

Tableau

Power BI

Looker

German language

English language

Tools

SQL

Tableau

Power BI

Looker

Job description

Your area of responsibility

• Strategic Credit Risk & Collections Management
• Own and execute the Pan-European operational strategy across the credit lifecycle: from post-origination risk monitoring to early-stage dunning, late-stage collections, and legal recovery
• Partner with the Credit Underwriting, Policy, and Data Science teams to continuously refine risk models and cut-offs based on operational feedback and realized default trends
• Formulate proactive, data-informed intervention strategies for pre-delinquent and early-arrears customer segments
• People Leadership & Diverse European Operations
• Lead, recruit, and empower cross-cultural, distributed teams of credit specialists, collections leads, and operational analysts across multiple European hubs
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating career growth pathways and a supportive environment for remote and on-site staff
• Set clear performance expectations, coach managers, and cultivate a sense of shared mission across borders
• Performance, Analytics & DCA Management
• Track and optimize core operational and portfolio KPIs, including Default Rates, NPL Ratios, Roll Rates, Cure Rates, DSO, Cost-to-Collect, and recoveries net value
• Build accurate capacity and volume forecasts to allocate staffing effectively across automated channels and high-touch operations
• Manage third-party ecosystems across Europe: establish rigorous selection, SLA monitoring, and audit frameworks for Debt Collection Agencies (DCAs), tracing services, and legal partners
• Technology, Automation & Transformation
• Spearhead automation initiatives across the collection journey (e.g., self-service payment arrangements, automated communication cadences, dynamic scoring for propensity-to-pay)
• Champion the implementation and maintenance of scalable collections management systems (CMS) and modern CRM integrations
• Governance, Compliance & Customer Fairness
• Ensure all credit operations strictly comply with local and EU-wide statutory mandates (e.g., consumer credit directives, GDPR, local licensing guidelines, and banking compliance standards)
• Advocate for the fair and ethical treatment of customers facing financial vulnerability, protecting brand reputation while minimizing credit losses

Your profile

• Experience: 8+ years of progressive experience in credit risk operations, credit management, or debt recovery within banking, FinTech, BNPL, or financial services, with 4+ years in senior leadership
• People Leadership: Proven track record of successfully managing diverse, multicultural teams across several European markets (e.g., DACH, UK/Ireland, Southern Europe, Benelux, or CEE)
• Credit Risk Acumen: Sound grasp of credit scoring mechanisms, risk segmentation, early warning signals, and provisioning/loss modeling concepts
• Analytical Skills: Data-fluent; adept at utilizing business intelligence tools (e.g., SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Looker) to turn complex operational data into actionable risk mitigation steps
• Regulatory Knowledge: Solid understanding of European credit regulations, debt collection practices, and consumer protection laws
• Communication: Exceptional command of English and German