Digital Pay Day Loans Officer

LendGo; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

LendGo, a South African digital micro-lending fintech, seeks a Senior Loan Officer with a proven track record in building profitable loan books and managing risk. You will shape underwriting and portfolio strategies for rapid growth.

Join a fast-paced launch team focused on AI-driven credit models, fraud prevention, and compliant lending. You will lead with data to optimize collections, control losses, and scale a responsible loan portfolio.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in lending, credit risk, or digital finance.
• Proven ability to grow a loan book in fintech or microfinance.
• Experience with consumer, SME lending, or unsecured credit.
• Strong knowledge of SA credit regulations and bureaus.

Responsibilities

• Build and scale a profitable loan portfolio.
• Develop growth, profitability, and risk-balanced lending strategies.
• Monitor portfolio performance and implement corrective actions.
• Lead customer acquisition and retention via digital channels.

Skills

Loan portfolio management

Credit risk management

Fraud prevention

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Statistics

Job description

LendGo is a digital micro-lending fintech offering fast, simple, and responsible personal loans to South Africans. We are a new, growing company looking for motivated people to join our launch team.

Role Overview

We are seeking an exceptional and results-driven Senior Loan Officer with extensive experience in the South African fintech and digital lending sector. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of building and managing a profitable loan book, driving portfolio growth, reducing credit losses, and achieving industry-leading collection rates.

Key responsibilities

• Build, manage, and scale a high-performing loan portfolio.
• Develop lending strategies that balance growth, profitability, and risk.
• Monitor portfolio performance and implement corrective actions to maintain healthy asset quality.
• Drive customer acquisition and retention through digital lending channels.

Credit Risk & Underwriting

• Design and implement advanced underwriting frameworks.
• Utilize alternative data sources and AI-driven credit models to improve lending decisions.
• Develop strategies to predict and reduce loan defaults.
• Continuously optimize credit policies based on portfolio performance and market conditions.

Fraud Prevention & Risk Mitigation

• Lead fraud detection and prevention initiatives across the lending lifecycle.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.

Collections & Recoveries

• Develop and execute collections strategies that maximize recovery rates.
• Monitor collections performance and implement process improvements.
• Utilize predictive analytics to identify at-risk customers before delinquency.
• Manage internal and external collections partners.
• 8+ years of experience in lending, credit risk, or digital finance.
• Proven success in building and growing a loan book within a fintech, digital lender, microfinance institution.
• Demonstrated experience in consumer lending, SME lending, or unsecured credit products.
• Strong history of achieving high collection and recovery rates.
• Extensive experience in fraud prevention and credit risk management.

Industry Knowledge

• Deep understanding of South African credit legislation and regulations, including:
• National Credit Act (NCA)
• POPIA
• FICA
• Familiarity with South African credit bureaus and fintech lending practices

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Finance, Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Business, or related field.
• Certifications in Credit Risk Management, Data Analytics, AI, or Financial Technology are beneficial.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Loan book growth and profitability.
• Collection and recovery rates.
• Customer acquisition and retention metrics.
• Credit approval efficiency.

Ideal Candidate Profile

You are commercially minded, analytically strong, and passionate about using technology to transform lending. You have successfully built and managed loan portfolios, understand the dynamics of South African digital lending, and are comfortable leveraging AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics to drive better credit outcomes. You combine strong leadership skills with a hands-on approach and thrive in a fast-paced fintech environment

What Success Looks Like

• Consistently growing a profitable loan book.
• Maintaining strong collection and recovery performance.
• Reducing fraud and default rates through predictive analytics.
• Driving innovation through AI and digital lending technologies.
• Building scalable lending operations that support sustainable business growth.