Head of Collections - Strategy, Transformation & Performance in London

FairMoney is a pioneering mobile banking institution specializing in extending credit to emerging markets. Established in 2017, the company currently operates primarily within Nigeria and has secured nearly €50 million in funding from renowned global investors, including Tiger Global, DST, and Flourish Ventures. FairMoney is actively constructing the foremost mobile banking platform and point-of-sale (POS) solution tailored for emerging markets. The journey began with the introduction of a digital microcredit application exclusively available on Android and iOS devices. Today, FairMoney has significantly expanded its range of services, encompassing a comprehensive suite of financial products, such as current accounts, savings accounts, debit cards, and state-of-the-art POS solutions designed to meet the needs of both merchants and agents. FairMoney thrives on its diverse workforce, bringing together talent from over 27 nationalities. This multicultural team drives the company’s mission of reshaping financial services for underserved communities.

Note: This role is only open to candidates who are willing to fully relocate to Nigeria or candidates who are willing to stay at least 2 weeks in Nigeria every month.

Job Responsibilities

• End-to-End Ownership
  • Full accountability for cash collected, arrears, roll-rates, PAR/NPL, and recovery economics.
  • Own outcomes, not activities or excuses.
  • Actively shape upstream inputs (Risk, Product, CX, Tech) to improve downstream collections performance.
• Strategy & System Design
  • Design and execute a multi-horizon collections strategy:
  • Short-term cash optimisation.
  • Mid-term recovery improvement.
  • Long-term customer behaviour change.
  • Build structured approaches to:
  • Early vs late-stage collections.
  • Segmentation-driven treatment strategies.
  • Behavioural and incentive-based interventions.
  • Introduce clear experimentation frameworks (control vs test, ROI-driven rollouts).
• Data-Led Decision Making
  • Use data to drive decisions.
  • Partner deeply with Risk and Data Science on:
  • Roll-rate optimisation.
  • Behavioural analytics.
  • Treatment effectiveness measurement.
  • Unit economics and ROI of collections actions.
  • Demand transparent, decision-ready reporting with clear accountability.
• Team & Bench Strength
  • Build a high-calibre leadership bench within Collections.
  • Upgrade talent decisively where required.
  • Develop leaders, not just agents.
  • Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Actively influence Product, Risk, Tech, and CX — do not wait for alignment.
  • Challenge constructively where design or policy decisions harm recoveries.
  • Be a respected, firm voice at senior leadership and ExCo forums.
• Customer & Brand Balance
  • Improve collections outcomes without damaging long-term customer value.
  • Reduce escalations through system fixes, not firefighting.
  • Balance firmness with fairness through smarter design, not leniency.
• Time-Bound Success Expectations
  • First 90 Days (Stabilise & Diagnose)
    • Take full ownership of collections performance and escalations.
    • Establish clear visibility on cash, arrears, roll-rates, and recovery drivers.
    • Identify and begin fixing the highest-impact structural blockers.
    • Deliver a credible, data-backed transformation roadmap with priorities and owners.
    • Reset accountability standards and leadership expectations within the team.
  • First 6 Months (Deliver Step-Change)
    • Demonstrate measurable improvement in:
    • Cash collected.
    • Cash-to-arrears and cash-to-instalment ratios.
    • Late-stage roll-rates.
    • Implement segmentation-driven treatment strategies at scale.
    • Reduce escalations and repeat failure points through system and process redesign.
    • Strengthen leadership bench with clear successors and upgraded capability.

  Requirements

  • Minimum of first degree in any related field of study.
  • Minimum of 8 years proven experience in Collections with good leadership experience.
  • Senior leadership experience in collections within lending, fintech, or credit-led businesses.
  • Proven track record of turning around or materially improving collections performance.
  • Experience operating in data-rich, fast-moving environments.

  This role is only open to candidates who are willing to fully relocate to Nigeria or candidates who are willing to stay at least 2 weeks in Nigeria every month.

  Mindset & Traits

  • Builder, not caretaker.
  • Strong personal ownership — “the buck stops with me.”
  • Comfortable with ambiguity and transformation.
  • Proactive, commercially minded, and decisive.
  • Willing to challenge peers and leadership when required.
  • Low tolerance for excuses; high tolerance for accountability.

  Benefits

  • 25 days paid vacation, Sick & Public Holidays to B2B contractors.
  • Remote (timezone must have significant overlap with CET).
  • Training & Development budget.
  • Paid company business trips.
  • Relocation allowance.

  Recruitment Process

  • A screening interview with one of the members of the Talent Acquisition team.
  • Technical interview with Global Head of Operations.
  • Final Interview with Chief Credit Officer.