At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead credit risk strategy and manage a growing team to drive financial growth.
- Company: LemFi, a fast-growing fintech revolutionising finance for the Global South.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, diverse team culture, and opportunities for professional development.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team dedicated to building inclusive financial solutions.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a mission-driven company transforming financial access globally.
- Qualifications: Extensive experience in consumer credit risk and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
LemFi (Series B) is building the go-to financial app for the Global South. Moving to a new country shouldn't mean starting from zero. That's why our team of 400+ spanning 20+ countries is building a financial ecosystem that helps immigrants stay connected to home, build stability, and create wealth regardless of where they are from or where they live. What began as fast, affordable remittances is now evolving into a complete platform for multi-currency accounts, payments, credit, and long-term financial growth. With millions of users across the globe, we process over $1B in monthly transactions to 30+ countries, proving that borders shouldn't limit financial opportunity.
The Role
As the Head of Credit Risk, you will own the risk line within the UK Credit P&L, acting as a commercial leader who balances risk-adjusted margins with growth. Reporting to the VP of Credit, you will lead a small but growing team and serve as the primary credit voice across product, collections and capital markets as the business scales.
How You'll Contribute
- P&L Ownership: Manage the risk-adjusted margin across the portfolio and iterate pricing strategies to ensure all segments drive accretive returns.
- Decisioning Framework: Own the end to end decisioning framework across both origination and existing customer management.
- Model Building: Lead the credit data science function to deliver best-in-class credit models using traditional bureau and alternative data sources.
- Financial Planning: Own the forecast of IFRS 9 provisions and the loss estimates that feed directly into financial planning.
- Regulatory Rigour: Maintain FCA-ready policy documentation across affordability, underwriting, and collections, owning the rationale behind every material decision.
- Capital Markets: Support the structured finance programme and represent the portfolio performance directly to debt investors.
- Partnership Management: Manage key supplier relationships including credit bureaus, decision engines, and alternative data providers.
Who You Are
- Commercially Minded: You understand that a credit risk function that blocks growth is failing; you think in terms of the overall P&L, not just the loss rate.
- Analytically Grounded: You can build a vintage curve, read a roll rate matrix, and challenge model outputs independently without needing a team to interpret the data for you.
- Strong People Leader: You build high-performing teams that make sound decisions and represent the credit function credibly without you in the room.
- Consumer Credit Expert: You have a track record of owning policy end to end, ideally within the credit card or personal loans space.
- Comfortable in Ambiguity: You thrive at the scale-up stage, choosing to improve processes in real-time rather than waiting for perfection.
What You'll Bring
- Relevant Experience: Extensive experience in consumer credit risk within UK financial services or fintech.
- Product Ownership: A proven track record of owning credit policy across the full lifecycle (origination and existing customer management).
- Technical Depth: Deep understanding of UK credit bureau data, open banking and automated decisioning systems.
- Regulatory Knowledge: A solid grasp of FCA requirements regarding consumer credit, affordability and fair lending.
- Leadership Track Record: Experience managing and developing direct reports in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.
- Data Proficiency: Practical proficiency in SQL or similar tools for independent data analysis.
- Capital Markets: Exposure to debt investor relations or structured finance (Preferred).
The Interview Process
- TA Screen (30 mins)
- Hiring Manager Interview (60 mins)
- Case Study Presentation & Deep Dive (60 mins)
- Leadership Meetings (30-60 mins)
Diversity & Inclusion at LemFi
To build the best financial tools for the global diaspora, we need a team that reflects the world we serve. We welcome builders from all walks of life who embody our values over a perfect resume. Don't meet every single requirement in the job ad? Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often hesitate to apply if they don't check every box. If you are excited about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be just the right person for this, or other roles.
Head of Credit Risk employer: LemFi
Contact Detail:
LemFi Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Credit Risk
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, especially those who work at LemFi or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info that could help you stand out.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into credit risk topics. Brush up on your knowledge of P&L management and decisioning frameworks. Show us you know your stuff and can bring value to the team!
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just focus on your experience; highlight your leadership skills too! We want to see how you’ve built high-performing teams and made sound decisions. Share specific examples that showcase your impact.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows us you’re genuinely interested in being part of our mission to create financial opportunities for everyone.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Credit Risk
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role and our mission shine through. We want to see how your values align with ours at LemFi, so don’t hold back on expressing why you’re excited about building financial tools for the global diaspora.
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in consumer credit risk and how it relates to the role of Head of Credit Risk. We’re looking for specific examples that demonstrate your ability to manage P&L and lead teams effectively, so be clear and concise!
Be Data-Driven: Since this role involves a lot of analytical work, showcase your data proficiency. Mention any experience you have with SQL or similar tools, and provide examples of how you've used data to make informed decisions in previous roles. We love a good data story!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at LemFi!
How to prepare for a job interview at LemFi
✨Know Your Numbers
As the Head of Credit Risk, you'll need to be comfortable with data. Brush up on your understanding of credit metrics, P&L management, and risk-adjusted margins. Be ready to discuss how you would approach pricing strategies and model building using both traditional and alternative data sources.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role requires strong people leadership. Prepare examples of how you've built high-performing teams in the past. Think about specific challenges you've faced and how you empowered your team to make sound decisions, especially in a fast-paced environment.
✨Understand Regulatory Requirements
Familiarise yourself with FCA regulations regarding consumer credit, affordability, and fair lending. Be prepared to discuss how you would maintain FCA-ready policy documentation and the rationale behind your decisions. This shows that you’re not just a numbers person but also understand the regulatory landscape.
✨Prepare for Case Studies
Expect a case study presentation during the interview process. Practice presenting your thought process clearly and concisely. Focus on how you would approach decision-making frameworks and financial planning, as well as how you would manage key supplier relationships in the context of credit risk.