Recovery Officer

About the role

Old Mutual is hiring a Recovery Officer to manage delinquent and high-risk loan accounts through structured follow-up, negotiation and repayment arrangements. The role protects the loan portfolio by maximising recoveries, minimising arrears moving into non-performing loans and ensuring recovery actions are properly documented and compliant with applicable laws and policies.

Key responsibilities

• Review arrears reports, prioritise delinquent accounts and contact defaulting customers to agree realistic repayment commitments
• Negotiate repayment arrangements within approved authority limits and escalate persistent defaults and high-risk accounts
• Develop account-level recovery plans, work with Collections Administrators and monitor recovery effectiveness
• Engage employers and authorised employer representatives on missed or discontinued deductions and on repayment issues from resignation, retrenchment or termination
• Maintain complete recovery files, track recovery costs and refer cases to legal advisers or other recovery channels when criteria are met
• Prepare daily, weekly and monthly reports on delinquent accounts, recoveries and broken promises to pay, and escalate suspected fraud, disputed balances and complaints

Required profile

• Degree in Banking, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Credit Management or a related field
• 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 is an advantage; training in credit management, debt collection or recovery is beneficial

Required skills

• 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, with resilience, persistence and sound judgement
• High integrity and respect for customer confidentiality