Recovery Officer

Old Mutual · Lilongwe

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Job Description

Key roles and responsibilities

A. Delinquency and recovery management

• Review arrears reports and identify accounts requiring intensified recovery action.
• Prioritise delinquent accounts according to arrears ageing, outstanding exposure, repayment behaviour and assessed recovery risk.
• Contact defaulting customers and engage them professionally to establish reasons for non-payment and agree realistic repayment commitments.
• Negotiate repayment arrangements within approved authority limits and document all agreed commitments.
• Monitor broken promises to pay and initiate appropriate follow-up action.
• Maintain regular contact with customers and relevant employer representatives where permitted and appropriate.
• Escalate persistent defaults, high-risk accounts and cases requiring management intervention.

B. Recovery strategy and portfolio protection

• Develop and implement account-level recovery plans for seriously delinquent accounts.
• Identify early warning indicators of potential default, including employment changes, repeated missed repayments and avoidance of contact.
• Work with Collections Administrators to ensure timely referral of delinquent accounts and continuity of collection records.
• Monitor the effectiveness of recovery strategies and recommend improvements based on recovery outcomes.
• Support the reduction of arrears, non-performing loans and credit losses through disciplined follow-up and appropriate escalation.

C. Employer and stakeholder engagement

• Coordinate with employer payroll and authorised employer representatives to investigate missed or discontinued deductions where appropriate.
• Follow up on repayment-related issues arising from resignation, retrenchment, termination or changes in employment, subject to the applicable loan agreement and legal requirements.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to establish accurate account balances and identify outstanding repayment obligations.
• Ensure that all third-party engagements respect customer confidentiality and approved information-sharing arrangements.

D. Documentation and escalation

• Maintain complete and up-to-date recovery files, including contact histories, repayment commitments, correspondence and supporting evidence.
• Prepare cases for referral to legal advisers or other authorised recovery channels when approved escalation criteria are met.
• Ensure that legal and formal recovery actions are initiated only through approved processes and appropriate authority.
• Track escalated cases and follow up on outstanding actions until resolution.
• Maintain an accurate record of recovery costs, amounts recovered and outstanding balances.

E. Reporting and compliance

• Prepare daily, weekly and monthly reports on delinquent accounts, recoveries, broken promises to pay and recovery outcomes.
• Monitor recovery performance against assigned targets.
• Ensure that all recovery activities comply with applicable laws, customer protection standards, internal policies and approved communication practices.
• Avoid harassment, misleading representations, unauthorised disclosure of customer information or any other prohibited collection practices.
• Escalate suspected fraud, disputed balances, customer complaints and unusual account activity through approved channels.

F. Technical and behavioural competencies

• Strong negotiation, persuasion and conflict-resolution skills.
• Good understanding of credit risk, arrears management and recovery procedures.
• Strong numerical, analytical and reporting skills.
• Ability to manage difficult conversations professionally.
• Resilience, persistence and sound judgement.
• High integrity and respect for customer confidentiality.
• Strong organisation, documentation and follow-up skills.

G. Key performance indicators

• Amount and percentage of delinquent balances recovered.
• Recovery rate against assigned targets.
• Reduction in arrears and progression of accounts into higher delinquency categories.
• Percentage of broken repayment commitments followed up within agreed timelines.
• Number and value of accounts regularised or resolved.
• Timeliness and completeness of recovery documentation and reports.
• Compliance with approved recovery procedures and customer protection requirements.

H. Minimum qualifications

• A degree in Banking, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Credit Management or a related field.
• Training or certification in credit management, debt collection or recovery will be beneficial.

I. Required experience

• At least two years of experience in loan collections, debt recovery, credit administration or delinquency management.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating repayment commitments and following up overdue accounts.
• Experience in microfinance, banking, payroll lending or other retail credit operations will be an advantage.
• Familiarity with arrears ageing, recovery reporting and loan management systems is desirable.

Skills

Competencies

Education

Closing Date

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