Chief Risk Officer (Microfinance)

Trionika; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 2,000,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Trionika is launching a new consumer lending business in South Africa and seeks a Chief Risk Officer to build and lead the Risk function from the ground up. This is a hands-on, C-level leadership role with direct impact on lending strategy and profitability.

You will design underwriting policies, scoring models, and portfolio monitoring, working with founders to scale risk controls in a high-volume unsecured credit environment.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership in CRO/Head of Credit Risk in fintech or microfinance.
• Experience building risk functions in new markets.
• Strong knowledge of underwriting policies and risk scoring.

Responsibilities

• Build theRisk function from scratch and set the risk strategy.
• Design underwriting policies, rules, limits, and decision frameworks.
• Develop credit scoring and automated decision-making with Data/Analytics.
• Define risk appetite, approval criteria, and portfolio thresholds.
• Establish portfolio monitoring and early-warning systems.
• Monitor key metrics: approval rate, defaults, delinquency, profitability.
• Balance growth with risk controls and unit economics.
• Lead fraud risk controls and align with regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with founders on strategic lending decisions.

Skills

Credit risk leadership

Credit scoring

Portfolio analytics

Data-driven mindset

Job description

Weare launching anew consumer lending business inSouth Africa and are looking for aChief Risk Officer (CRO) tobuild and lead the Risk function from the groundup.

This isakey leadership role with direct impact onthe company's lending strategy, portfolio quality, profitability, and scalability.

Weare looking for ahands-on risk leader with strong experience inmicrofinance, digital lending, consumer lending, orother high-volume unsecured credit products, who understands how tobuild risk management inanew market- from initial underwriting rules and scoring models toportfolio monitoring and continuous optimisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Build the company's credit risk strategy and Risk function from scratch.
• Design and continuously improve underwriting policies, credit rules, limits, and decision-making frameworks.
• Develop the approach tocredit scoring and automated decision-making incooperation with Data/Analytics and technology teams.
• Define risk appetite, approval criteria, cut-offs, limits, and portfolio-level risk thresholds.
• Build portfolio monitoring and early-warning systems.
• Analyse portfolio performance bycohorts, customer segments, acquisition channels, products, and other relevant dimensions.
• Monitor and manage key risk metrics, including approval rate, default rate, delinquency rate, vintage performance, roll rate, expected losses, and profitability.
• Develop strategies for balancing growth, approval rates, unit economics, and credit losses.
• Establish fraud risk controls and contribute tofraud prevention strategy.
• Identify emerging risks and implement corrective actions based onportfolio performance.
• Ensure that risk policies and processes align with local regulatory requirements and responsible lending principles.
• Work closely with the Managing Partner and founders onstrategic decisions related tothe lending business.

What We're Looking For

• Strong experience incredit risk within microfinance, digital lending, payday lending, consumer finance, fintech lending.
• Previous experience inaHead ofRisk, CRO, Credit Risk Director, Head ofCredit Risk, orsimilar senior leadership role.
• Strong knowledge ofcredit scoring, underwriting strategies, risk segmentation, and portfolio analytics.
• Strong understanding ofportfolio economics and the relationship between risk, pricing, acquisition, approval rates, and profitability.
• Experience building orsignificantly transforming risk processes, policies, orteams.
• Strong analytical and data-driven mindset.
• Ability tooperate inanentrepreneurial environment where processes and infrastructure are still being built.

What WeOffer

• Opportunity tojoin anew consumer lending business atanearly stage and directly shape its risk strategy.
• C-level role with significant influence onbusiness and product decisions.
• Direct collaboration with the founders and Managing Partner.
• Opportunity tobuild the Risk function, processes, and team from the groundup.
• High level ofautonomy and ownership.
• International business environment.
• Competitive compensation package, discussed individually depending onexperience.