About the position
We are seeking a highly experienced, strong-willed, and commercially astute Head of Credit Vetting to build, lead, and optimise a high-performance credit vetting function. This individual will play a critical role in protecting the business from unnecessary credit risk while enabling responsible sales growth through sound decision-making and efficient approval processes. The focus is entirely on front-end credit assessment, pre-approvals, affordability checks, payment structuring, and managing the full credit vetting lifecycle before accounts are handed over for collections or servicing.
The ideal candidate will be a firm, disciplined, person who can make tough calls, enforce standards, challenge poor-quality applications, and build a strong culture of accountability within the department.
Key Responsibilities
Credit Vetting & Decisioning
- Oversee all credit vetting processes for new applicants and existing customers requesting payment plans.
- Conduct and manage pre-approvals, affordability assessments, credit bureau reviews, income verification, and risk profiling.
- Approve, decline, or refer applications in line with internal credit policy and regulatory requirements.
- Assess customer repayment ability and recommend suitable payment plans aligned to affordability.
- Ensure consistent application of lending criteria and risk frameworks.
Team Leadership & Department Build
- Build and lead a credit vetting team from the ground up.
- Recruit, train, coach, and performance manage vetting staff.
- Implement SLAs, productivity metrics, approval turnaround times, and quality standards.
- Create a disciplined, high-output environment focused on speed, quality, and risk control.
- Develop succession plans and team capability.
Risk Management & Controls
- Reduce bad debt exposure through strong upfront vetting controls.
- Identify fraud indicators, document manipulation, and high-risk customer behaviour.
- Improve approval quality while balancing commercial conversion targets.
- Analyse approval/decline trends and recommend improvements.
- Work closely with finance, compliance, and operations teams to ensure governance.
Process Improvement & Strategy
- Review current vetting systems and improve workflows.
- Introduce automation opportunities, scorecards, affordability models, and decision trees.
- Create policies and procedures for a scalable credit vetting function.
- Produce management reports on approvals, declines, risk exposure, and pipeline status.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Essential Experience
- Proven experience in Credit Vetting / Credit Risk / Underwriting / Loan Assessments.
- Strong background in Micro Lending, Personal Loans, Retail Finance, Consumer Credit, or Fintech lending environments.
- Experience leading or supervising a credit approvals/vetting team.
- Hands-on knowledge of affordability assessments, bureau checks, income verification, and payment plan structuring.
- Strong understanding of the National Credit Act (South Africa) and responsible lending principles.
Personality & Leadership Style
- Assertive, firm, decisive, and highly accountable.
- Comfortable saying no and making difficult credit decisions.
- Strong attention to detail and zero tolerance for weak controls.
- Operationally hands-on, energetic, and able to build structure from chaos.
- Results-driven with high standards and urgency.
Preferred Background
Candidates from the following environments would be highly advantageous:
- Micro lending businesses
- Loan providers
- Retail credit providers
- Vehicle finance / unsecured lending
- Fintech credit operations
- Debt counselling or affordability assessment environments
Desired Skills:
- Credit Vetting
- Credit Risk
- Underwriting
- Loan Assessments
