Credit Risk Manager

AFI Microfinance is the leading non-banking microfinance organization in Greece. AFI aims to assist micro-entrepreneurs and unemployed people willing to create their own business and who do not have access to the conventional credit market, by providing them microcredit and business support services. In the past 9 years AFI has provided access to or financed directly over 9 million euros to start-ups and existing businesses while providing training and mentoring to over 6.000 unique entrepreneurs and creating 1000+ new job positions . The microfinance sector in Greece is newly regulated and is expected to grow significantly in the next years. AFI is licensed by Bank of Greece and is seeking to recruit a Credit Risk Manager to support business development and sales efforts that will enable such a growth.

Key Responsibilities

The Credit Risk Manager reports directly to the Managing Director and his/her key responsibilities are, among others, as follows:

• Manage existing portfolio at risk and collection in collaboration with AFI Microcredit Development Officers;
• Propose, design and implement and follow up amicable recovery practices;
• Support in the filtering process, where needed, assessing credit risk of new potential beneficiaries;
• Design and implementation of credit risk scoring tools and methodologies;
• Train Microcredit development officers on optimal risk policies;
• Participate in the design of the association's credit risk policy. Manage follow and control its implementation.
• Identify and evaluate threats, and suggest alternative courses of actions to avoid, reduce, or transfer risks;
• Identify, assess and monitor risk and support in the implementation of internal controls which are effective in design and operation.
• Undertake quality control reviews to ensure consistent implementation of policy and processes and identify any gaps, challenges and improvement measures.
• Provide consolidated reporting, inclusive of an overall risk profile, ensuring that major risks are identified and reported to the Board on risk hotspots, measures and recommendations.
• Monitor adherence to compliance, Anti Money Laundering ( AML) and Know your client (KYC) standards;
• Monitor, analyze and control the quality of production; Work with team members to identify risk mitigation opportunities and develop/maintain portfolio reports that support this function.
• Inform the Managing Director and BoD of the risk situation of microloans issued by AFI;
• Document changes to the credit manual accordingly, ensure its dissemination and ownership by the entire team;
• Manage the implementation of changes decided and their impact on risk;
• Utilize customer data to build risk segmentation and mitigation strategies
• Undertake training to staff on inherent risks and controls in the processes within their control;
• Organize the work; anticipate changes in needs / resources; define work methodologies and good practices;
• Motivate employees; support their training and skills development regarding risk related skills;
• Support Senior Management with credit risk reporting needs, including requirements by the BoG.

Requirements

The ideal candidate should have:

• University degree in Business Administration / Finance / Microfinance / Economics; Masters' degree would be a plus.
• At least two (2) to three (3) years of professional experience preferably in the field of banking/ financing/ fintech with relevant working experience in loan risk management;
• Detailed understanding of Banking processes, Risk, Regulatory & Compliance policies and requirements
• Result oriented individual taking the lead in operational process reengineering, providing direction on new product & business initiatives, project governance, process reviews and risk assessments.
• Good communication (written and verbal in both Greek and English) skills, including well developed presentation skills
• In depth knowledge and experience of the practical application of risk MI systems and methodologies, including experience of risk and control assessment and risk reporting.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills;
• Active listener and good communicator with clients and partners;
• Self-driven personality, autonomous and results-oriented;
• Resourceful, creative and problem-solver;
• Fluency in Greek and English is required;
• Computer Skills: MS Office/Google Apps, mastery of Excel. Experience with Salesforce would be a plus.

Additional Comments

• Travel requirement: 30% - projects all over Greece take place from time to time
• We hire people that are self-motivated, comfortable conceiving strategies on the fly, and enjoy working individually and as part of a team. Our work is high-energy and demanding, but new hires will quickly feel at home among colleagues as friendly and focused as they are.
• The company is expected to grow its operations significantly in the near future, thus working in a fast-paced environment and dealing with constant change are integral to the job position.
• Job applications will not and should not be assessed using race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion or sexual orientation.

Benefits

What we offer

• A fast-growing and flexible organization in a newly regulated sector;
• Salary based on experience, additional benefits and office perks;
• Mobile telephony including company provided smartphone device and data plan;
• A meaningful work with direct impact to the Greek society and economy.

Joining AFI implies a meaningful work in an excellent environment, which encourages initiative and innovation and contributes to the development of microfinance, which promotes growth and employment.