SME Lending Team Lead

About Umba
Umba is a pan-African digital bank serving customers in both Kenya and Nigeria. Our mission entails providing accessible and cost-effective financial services across Africa, enabling our customers to take charge of their financial well-being. We are committed to seizing a unique opportunity to transform the financial landscape in Africa by harnessing the power of machine learning to develop intelligent, affordable financial products tailored for emerging markets. Our machine learning models are continuously improving, and we leverage AI and automation to deliver banking solutions at the lowest possible cost to our expanding customer base.

Umba is headquartered in Nairobi Kenya. Our primary focus is to offer a comprehensive range of digital banking products through Android, iOS and Web Apps, and we take pride in our culture of consistently surpassing customer expectations, which has fueled our rapid expansion.

Umba acquired a deposit taking microfinance bank in Kenya in 2023, which has now been named Umba Microfinance Bank. The bank has achieved fast growth since launch with average monthly growth rate of 19% and 6x revenue growth in 2024.

Job Summary
To lead the Merchant financing Sales Team in achieving loan origination targets by driving customer acquisition, pipeline conversion, and portfolio growth. The SME Lending Growth Manager is responsible for supervising a team of sales agents focused on onboarding and servicing the SME clients. The role requires a hands-on leader with a strong commercial mindset, excellent relationship management skills, and the ability to deliver revenue growth through strategic sales execution.

Responsibilities
2. Team Oversight & Capacity Building
3. Client Acquisition & Relationship Management
4. Loan Application Support & Credit Facilitation
5. Portfolio Management & Loan Recovery
6. Governance, Compliance & Reporting
7. Strategic Market Engagement
Key Qualifications & Skills:

• Sales Leadership & Performance Management
• Drive the SME team to consistently achieve or surpass monthly loan disbursement and revenue objectives
• Develop and execute effective sales plans to boost loan uptake and improve client acquisition rates
• Track key performance indicators regularly and implement interventions to address underperformance at both individual and team levels
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and training of new sales agents to ensure readiness and alignment with sales goals
• Deliver continuous coaching, provide in-field support, and facilitate skills development to enhance team effectiveness
• Set clear expectations, evaluate performance regularly, and foster a results-oriented team culture
• Source new clients through field engagements, referrals, and direct selling efforts
• Guide potential clients through Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) processes to ensure proper onboarding
• Promote the company's merchant financing product by effectively communicating value propositions to prospects
• Maintain strong customer relationships to support client retention, upselling, and word-of-mouth growth
• Support clients in completing loan applications accurately and gather all required supporting documents
• Coordinate with credit team to ensure timely processing and disbursement of approved loans
• Track repayment schedules and engage proactively with clients to ensure timely payments
• Identify clients experiencing financial difficulty and provide repayment support or restructuring options
• Collaborate with the collections team to follow up on non-performing accounts and recover overdue amounts
• Maintain portfolio at risk (PAR) levels in line with the organization's recommended benchmarks
• Personally oversee critical client relationships and high-value transactions to maximize conversion and retention
• Ensure adherence to internal policies, standard operating procedures, and all applicable regulatory requirements
• Keep comprehensive records of client interactions, application progress, and sales metrics
• Submit timely and accurate reports on sales performance, client activity, and portfolio health
• Monitor market developments, competitor activities, and customer needs to guide sales strategies
• Identify emerging market segments and initiate relevant partnerships to expand the customer base
• Education: Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Marketing, or a related field
• Experience: At least 1–3 years of experience in sales, banking, microfinance, or a related industry
• Strong sales and negotiation skills, with a proven ability to meet targets
• Knowledge of credit risk assessment and loan processing
• Excellent customer service and relationship management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Minimum 4–6 years of experience in SME or business lending
• Proven track record of consistently achieving sales and loan disbursement targets
• Experience in field sales or B2B client acquisition in banking or financial institution

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