Manager – Credit Strategy & Operations

Management role reporting to the Head of Credit at Apollo Agriculture, an agri-fintech platform empowering small-scale farmers across Africa with optimised financing, high-quality inputs, expert digital advice, and risk management solutions. Apollo has reached more than 400,000 paying farmers across Kenya and Zambia. The role is to own Apollo's acquisition credit engine, deciding which farmers to serve and on what terms, and keeping the engine profitable and protected from fraud as Apollo scales across markets. Location: Nairobi, Kenya (preferred), or remote within ±4 hours of EAT with extensive travel to Nairobi and Apollo's other markets.

Responsibilities

Own acquisition credit strategy end-to-end, including who is approved, how much credit they get, how it is priced, how the product is structured, and the expected profitability of decisions; Be a thought partner collaborating with Product, Commercial, Growth, Engineering, and Finance to keep credit strategy aligned with business milestones; Build and run the monitoring and learning loop, including dashboards, controls, automated triggers, experiments, impact assessments, and timely corrective action; Lead fraud and data verification strategy and the ops team, including rules, detection processes, SOPs, incentives, performance management, and quality; Spend regular time in the field meeting farmers, agrodealers, field officers, and verification agents; Coach and develop the team and build future leaders within the function; Be AI-first in workflows to cut turnaround times, automate repetitive work, and improve quality

Requirements

4–7 years of experience in credit, risk, strategy, analytics, or product roles, ideally within financial services or consulting, including exposure to credit or lending risk; Structured, first-principles problem solving with a track record of turning ambiguous business problems into shipped policies; Exceptional analytical ability, including SQL and dashboard tools; Experience collaborating deeply across functions, influencing without formal authority, and leading and developing teams in fast-paced, high-growth environments; Strong communication skills in writing and in person; Real appetite for time in the field with farmers, based in Nairobi or willing to travel extensively to Apollo's markets; Hands-on experience with AI tools and AI-assisted workflows; A degree in a quantitative or analytical discipline such as engineering, statistics, mathematics, or economics

Nice to have

Direct experience designing and optimizing credit policies (approve/decline, limit assignment, pricing) or fraud frameworks; Motivation for Apollo's mission of serving small-scale farmers

Benefits

A mission-driven role with the opportunity to shape how Apollo acquires and serves small-scale farmers; High ownership and the chance to work closely with senior leaders; A competitive compensation and benefits package; A collaborative, supportive culture that values autonomy, honesty, transparency, and respect