Executive Manager : Lending Risk and Credit Solutions

Fempower; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 80 000 - 120 000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a strategic leader to head its Credit Risk and Lending Governance portfolio. This pivotal role involves shaping the credit vision to enhance sustainable lending in South Africa's agricultural sector. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in business lending and a strong commitment to innovative credit practices. This position offers an exciting opportunity to influence lending strategies and drive economic empowerment through inclusive finance. Join a forward-thinking institution dedicated to transforming the agricultural landscape and making a lasting impact.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in credit granting at a business or corporate level.
• Strong familiarity with agricultural credit and lending practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the credit strategy.
• Oversee credit policy formulation and risk monitoring.
• Engage in executive reporting and decision-making related to credit risk.

Skills

Business Lending

Credit Policy Development

Risk Assessment

Leadership Skills

Process Innovation

Education

Master's Degree in Finance

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration

Job description

Our client, a financial institution supporting national development and agricultural transformation, is seeking to appoint a strategic leader to head its Credit Risk and Lending Governance portfolio. This role is critical in shaping the institution’s credit vision as it strengthens its role in advancing sustainable, inclusive, and commercially viable lending across South Africa’s agricultural and agribusiness value chains.

This appointment is part of a broader institutional renewal, including financial repositioning and operational reform, focusing on restoring and expanding lending capacity, particularly in the agricultural sector. The ideal candidate will have deep familiarity with the complexities of business lending and be committed to advancing credit practices that are responsive, developmentally aligned, and risk-sound.

Responsibilities :

1. Lead the development and implementation of the organisation’s credit strategy, ensuring alignment with institutional goals.
2. Oversee credit policy formulation, approval governance, and portfolio risk monitoring across business and corporate lending structures.
3. Provide strategic leadership on credit origination, approval processes, risk mitigation measures, and decision frameworks.
4. Ensure credit practices, governance, and compliance align with relevant legislation (FICA, NCA, PFMA, Companies Act, etc.).
5. Champion innovation in credit process design, lending structures, and risk evaluation methodologies, especially for under-served sectors.
6. Engage in executive and board-level reporting, oversight, and decision-making related to credit risk.
7. Support the turnaround and sustainable recovery of the credit function as part of broader financial repositioning strategies.

Candidate Profile :

We seek a seasoned executive with a strong background in business or corporate credit lending, preferably with exposure to agricultural or development finance sectors.

Minimum Requirements :

• Extensive experience in credit granting or lending at a business or corporate level, understanding both front-end processes and enterprise-wide risk strategy.
• Prior experience or strong familiarity with agricultural credit/lending, agri-enterprise financing, or high-impact lending in rural economies.
• Demonstrated experience with complex transaction structuring, portfolio risk assessment, and credit policy development.
• Proven ability to align credit strategies with organisational growth and impact objectives, especially in regulated or state-linked environments.
• Strong leadership skills to manage cross-regional teams and influence governance and decision-making frameworks.
• Experience in process innovation, with a forward-thinking approach to lending and credit design.

We are looking for a strategic individual whose leadership style combines technical expertise with a passion for transformation, inclusive finance, and long-term agricultural development for economic empowerment.

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Manager Credit Risk • Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa