The Credit Officer is primarily responsible for initiating and managing all client-facing interactions in the field: identifying, selecting, and onboarding appropriate clients as per BRAC Kenya Company Limited (BKCL’s) mission and prioritising inclusion of participants from other BRAC programmes; initiating loan applications and credit appraisals within applicable turnaround times; coordinating timely loan disbursements; managing and facilitating group meetings as per set schedules; ensuring timely collections from clients as per set schedules; ensuring effective delinquency management in adherence to BKCL’s policies; and coordinating with the Customer Service Officer to log, resolve, and/or escalate client complaints.
Across these responsibilities, the Credit Officer will
adhere to the Client Protection standards, BKCL’s policies and protocols, and
compliance requirements, to ensure high standards of customer service and
satisfaction at each touchpoint of the client journey.
Key Responsibilities:
Client Selection and Onboarding
- Conduct product promotion activities at the individual, household,
market, and community levels within demarcation limits, in collaboration
with local leaders and relevant authorities, where needed, to clearly and
accurately describe the value proposition of BKCL’s products and services,
pricing and fees, and other terms and conditions
- Using the Digital Field Application (DFA) mobile app, conduct
door-to-door household surveys in the demarcated area to identify eligible
clients and generate leads as per set targets, with special focus on
women, youth (aged 18-35), populations living in poverty, and participants
of other BRAC programmes
- Prepare and submit member admission forms (exclusively on the DFA)
for client onboarding and creation, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and
authenticity of all information submitted, to facilitate verification of
the client’s identity, phone ownership, credit risk score, and sanction
and risk screening
- Maintain and ensure the accuracy of client records by promptly
notifying the Branch Accounts Officer of any updates to the client profile
and therefore any amendments to be made
- Adhere to Client Protection Standards in product promotion, and the
collection and storage of client information, particularly but not limited
to, transparency, and data privacy and confidentiality; ensure secure
handling and responsible use of the assigned digital devices, maintaining
data accuracy and confidentiality at all times
Group
Formation and Facilitation
- Organise clients into groups for effective follow-up and
administration, ensuring adherence to minimum and maximum group sizes;
coordinate with the Branch Manager in the re-organisation of groups if
they exceed maximum size
- Guide new groups in the setting up of group governance /
administrative structures, such as group leadership (chairperson,
treasurer, and secretary), setup of small groups and selection of small
group leaders, group meeting days and locations, etc.
- Support the group chairperson in ensuring group discipline and
attendance; track group meeting attendance (exclusively on the DFA) at the
individual client level
- Coordinate with the Branch Manager for any transfers of existing
clients into or out of the group, as well as for any group-requested
changes to meeting days
- Effectively deliver Financial & Digital Literacy, and Life
Skills Training (FLT) during group meetings to support the
capacity-building of clients, tracking session attendance and completion
rates at the individual client-level
Loan Application Initiation and Processing
- Orient (and ensure timely communication with) prospective clients on
information to be collected and documents to be submitted as part of the
loan application process; ensure the customer record is up-to-date for
repeat clients and make amendments as needed
- Input and submit loan application forms (exclusively on the DFA),
ensuring completeness, accuracy, and authenticity of all information and
any supporting documentation submitted
- As part of the loan application, conduct thorough credit appraisals
for clients to propose appropriate loan amounts, balancing both client
financial needs and prevention of over-indebtedness
- Participate in the Branch Credit Committee (BCC) meetings as
required, proposing loans based on documented appraisal findings and
ensuring completeness of documentation before BCC review
- In a timely manner, act on feedback from the BCC to ensure that loan
documentation is complete and compliant
Loan Disbursement Processing
- Leveraging available tools of work, orient clients in clear and
simple language on the full terms and conditions of the loan (pricing,
fees, deductions from the loan amount, client obligations, consequences of
default, etc.) to enable them to make an informed decision prior to
entering into a formal agreement
- With the Branch Accounts Officer, prepare and align on the
disbursement sheets in advance of disbursement days, and prepare the
disbursement file and passbooks for each client as necessary
- Support the Branch Manager in delivering in-person Pre-Disbursement
Orientations (PDOs) for newly-onboarded clients prior on disbursement days
- Following loan disbursement to clients’ mobile wallets, cross-check
that the appropriate amounts have been disbursed to the respective clients
minus applicable deductions
Collections
and Delinquency Management
- Provide continuous handholding to clients on the processes for
making payments to BKCL through approved channels (M-PESA)
- At group meetings, verify loan installment payments made by each
individual client against figures recorded on the system to confirm
payments and identify mismatches; appropriately record / update client
passbooks
- Monitor and follow up on clients with arrears, following the
timelines / processes and in liaising with the relevant parties
(guarantors, group members, etc.) as set out in BKCL’s lending policies
and while also ensuring fair and respectful treatment of clients
- Actively prohibit group liability / contributions, ensuring that
each client within the group is solely responsible for making only their
own installment payments
Complaint
Handling and Customer Service
- Manage and monitor client complaint handling at the branch level,
ensuring that all client feedback and complaints are formally documented,
escalated to the right individuals, and resolved within admissible
timelines; ensure that clients are formally updated on the status of
resolution
- Monitor and review trends in recorded feedback and complaints from
clients, and raise them to respective field supervisors and the head
office focal, as a means of guiding BKCL management on improvements that
can be made to complaint handling processes and to BKCL’s overall business
model
- At each touchpoint in the client journey, ensure timely, transparent
client communication that is in clear and simple language understood by
the clients; maintain an open channel with clients to respond to any
queries
- Ensure fair, professional, and respectful treatment of clients at
each touchpoint of the client journey
- Maintain the privacy and confidentiality of client information, and
orient clients on their data rights
- Across all activities, adhere to the Client Protection Standards,
BRAC values, BKCL’s policies / processes and operational standards, and
compliance requirements to ensure efficient, consistent service delivery
and a high standard of customer service
Reporting
and Coordination
- In addition to any reporting or coordination responsibilities listed
above,
- Work with the Branch Manager to set annual, quarterly, and monthly
targets (relating but not limited to outreach to mission segments, new
members onboarded, disbursements, realization, etc.); develop action plans
accordingly and share regular updates on achievement against set targets
- Monitor and consistently drive outreach to BKCL’s mission segments
as per set targets, specifically women, youth (aged 18-35), rural
populations, populations living in poverty, and participants of BRAC Kenya
NGO programmes
- Escalate any identified mismatches relating to client transactions
to the Branch Accounts Officer and Branch Manager for timely resolution
- Identify and immediately escalate suspected fraud,
misrepresentation, or document falsification during client onboarding and
loan processing
- Participate and contribute to monthly meetings with all BKCL and
BRAC Kenya NGO programme staff to share updates, highlight challenges and
learnings, and discuss possible solutions
Safeguarding
- Read, understand, and comply with BKCL’s safeguarding policy and
procedures at all times
- Promote awareness of safeguarding standards within the branch and
ensure safeguarding principles are applied in day-to-day activities
- Conduct all financial and client interactions in a manner that
upholds dignity, respect, and protection of vulnerable individuals
- Immediately report any safeguarding concerns or reportable incidents
in accordance with the established safeguarding reporting procedures
- Encourage colleagues to adhere to safeguarding standards and
reporting requirements
Educational &
Experience Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree / Diploma in Development Studies, Accounting,
Finance, Banking, Business Administration, Commerce, Economics, or a
related field.
Required Competencies:
- Good customer service skills, with experience in adult teaching
methods considered an added advantage
- Ability to handle confidential client information with integrity and
confidentiality
- Good organisational and documentation management skills
- Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines
How to Apply
