Senior Relationship Manager at Jackfruit Finance

Senior Relationship Manager at Jackfruit Finance | Iko Kazi

The Senior Relationship Manager (SRM) is an autonomous, senior individual contributor responsible for independently managing a mixed loan book spanning schools and SMEs. The SRM sets their own work rhythm, self manages performance against ambitious targets, and serves as a peer mentor to Junior and Senior School Sales and Lending (SSL) staff in the region.

Key Responsibilities

Autonomous Relationship Management — Schools and SMEs

The SRM independently manages a mixed loan book covering school and SME clients in equal measure. School loans carry a relatively stable risk profile due to the fixed, community rooted nature of school
premises and directors. SME loans require a different and sharper vigilance — owner managed businesses can change hands, relocate, or deteriorate quickly. The SRM is expected to manage both sub-portfolios with discipline and to apply the level of scrutiny each demands.
Own and manage a mixed school and SME loan portfolio, self organising the work plan to balance origination, monitoring, and collections activity across both client types. Conduct independent weekly portfolio health reviews — segmenting school and SME exposures separately — and submit structured reports to the Commercial Manager by COB every Friday. Proactively flag at-risk SME accounts at the first sign of stress (missed repayments, business closure, owner unavailability), before delinquency thresholds are breached.
Maintain portfolio at risk (PAR 30) within institutional thresholds across the total portfolio, with separate tracking for school and SME sub-portfolios.

School Client Acquisition and Relationship Management

The SRM is expected to operate as a trusted financial advisor to school directors, not merely a loan officer. This means cultivating long-term relationships, anticipating needs across loan cycles, and positioning Jackfruit solutions ahead of competitors.
Identify and onboard new schools, with a focus on complex or larger ticket opportunities. Conduct multi-cycle relationship management — maintaining contact with schools between loan cycles to support retention and repeat borrowing.
Represent Jackfruit at activations, school association events, county education forums, and community touchpoints to build the brand and generate referrals.
Develop tailored value propositions for different school segments (early childhood, primary, secondary, vocational).

Large SME Client Acquisition — Segment Focus and Quality Standards

Jackfruit's SME lending targets businesses with recurring cash flows, identifiable assets, and verifiable operating history. The SRM is responsible for ensuring both small and large SMEs and quality large SME clients are originated — not volume for its own sake. The following segments are in scope:
Retail traders with demonstrable stock turnover and a stable business location. Agribusiness and value addition enterprises with a defined production or trading cycle. Service providers with identifiable client contracts or a track record of repeat revenue. Transport operators with verifiable assets (vehicles, logbooks) and route consistency. Light manufacturers with documented production capacity and sales channels. Education linked SMEs (school suppliers, uniform traders, stationery vendors) who operate within the school ecosystem.
The SRM must apply a discerning eye to SME client selection. Unlike schools — which are fixed in the community — SME owners can relocate, pivot their business model, or become unreachable. The SRM is expected to screen for business sustainability, owner character, and community rootedness before any
loan is recommended, and to maintain ongoing physical contact with SME clients throughout the loan cycle.

SME Credit Assessment and Risk Ownership

SME appraisals require deeper investigative work than school appraisals. Audited financials are rarely available; the SRM must construct a credit picture from bank statements, sales records, supplier relationships, stock observations, and direct owner interviews. Character assessment is not a soft skill in SME lending — it is a credit variable.
Conduct full SME credit appraisals covering: business registration and licensing, PIN certificate and tax compliance, 12-month bank statement analysis, sales and purchase records review, cash flow projection stress testing, existing debt obligations, and inventory or stock verification.
Complete physical business location verification for every SME applicant — no exceptions. Document trading premises, stock levels, and asset conditions with photographs. Assess owner character and community standing through reference checks, supplier and customer interviews, and credit bureau review.
Screen all SME applicants against KYC/AML requirements, the Jackfruit exclusion list, and environmental and social risk compliance criteria.
Confirm minimum 3 years of verifiable operating history before recommending any SME loan. Prepare written credit summaries for borderline or higher-value SME cases for Investment Committee (IC) review.
Monitor fund utilisation post-disbursement for SME clients through structured business visits within 30 days of disbursement, with photographic evidence.

Collateral and Security Management

SME lending frequently involves physical collateral — movable assets, stock, or property. The SRM must be competent in assessing collateral quality and in coordinating the registration and management of security.
Coordinate valuation reports and proof of ownership documentation for all collateral backed SME loans.
Ensure insurance cover is in place for financed assets where required.
Liaise with the legal and collections team on chattel registration and charge documents. Identify and escalate any deterioration in collateral value or client asset base during the loan cycle.

Collections and Delinquency Management

The SRM leads first-line collections across their full portfolio. For SME loans, early intervention is critical — waiting for a second or third missed payment in the SME segment often means the window for recovery has already narrowed significantly.
Initiate first-line recovery contact within 24 hours of a missed payment for any SME client. Conduct physical visits to SME client premises for all accounts moving toward PAR 7, before PAR 30 is reached.
Escalate to the collections team with a written case summary when internal recovery efforts are not resolving within agreed timelines.

Peer Mentorship and SME Knowledge Transfer

The SRM plays a formal mentorship role within the field team. Given the complexity of SME credit work, a key part of this mentorship is building SME lending competence in Junior and Senior SSLs who are newer to the asset class.
Act as an assigned buddy or technical mentor for new SSL hires during their first 90 days, with particular focus on SME appraisal techniques, business verification, and character assessment. Lead or co-lead at least one regional knowledge sharing session per quarter — topics should include SME credit case studies, delinquency turnaround stories, or sector-specific insights (e.g. agribusiness seasonality, transport asset risk).
Provide informal field coaching to Junior and Senior SSLs upon request or at the direction of the Commercial Manager — without formal line management responsibility.

Market Intelligence and Product Feedback

Document and share competitive intelligence on a quarterly basis, covering both school and SME lending competitors.
Participate in product feedback sessions when invited by the CFO or Commercial Manager, representing the voice of the field on both product lines.
Identify and flag new SME segments, geographies, or loan product opportunities based on field observations.

Academic and Professional Qualifications

Relevant diploma from a recognised institution (minimum requirement).
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field is an added advantage.
Certificate in basic computer skills.
Professional certification in credit or microfinance (e.g. ACCA, KASNEB, AMFI-K) is an added advantage.

Experience

Minimum 3 years of field sales and credit experience, with demonstrated exposure to both school financing and SME lending.
Demonstrable track record of consistent target attainment at Senior SSL Level 1 or Level 2 (or equivalent), with portfolio quality metrics within institutional thresholds.

Senior Relationship Manager at Jackfruit Finance

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Senior Relationship Manager at Jackfruit Finance

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