Apollo Agriculture is at the forefront of agri-fintech innovation in Africa, empowering smallholder farmers with the tools, financing, and knowledge they need to thrive. With a mission rooted in sustainability and inclusivity, Apollo is revolutionizing agricultural practices by enabling data-driven decisions, offering accessible financing options, and delivering high-quality agricultural inputs. Since its inception, Apollo Agriculture has already served over 400,000 paying farmers across Kenya and Zambia, with plans to expand even further. As part of this strategic expansion and a continued commitment to excellence, Apollo is now seeking a highly capable and driven Manager, Repayment Operations to lead and optimize our repayment functions across multiple geographies.
About the Role
The Manager, Repayment Operations will play a pivotal leadership role in driving Apollo’s repayment strategy across all operating markets, with an immediate focus on Kenya and Zambia and an eye on future markets. This role demands a high-performing, analytical, and field-savvy leader who thrives in dynamic, high-growth environments and brings a strong track record in repayment operations, credit management, and data analytics.
The ideal candidate will be someone who not only excels at leading large teams—both in the field and within call center environments—but also someone who dives deep into the data to unearth insights, strategize improvements, and foster long-term customer trust. The position reports directly to Apollo’s senior leadership and involves collaboration across multiple departments to ensure smooth, efficient, and ethical recovery of outstanding credit while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities
1. Repayment Strategy Development and Execution
- Take full ownership of Apollo’s end-to-end repayment strategy, ensuring its successful implementation in Kenya, Zambia, and future markets.
- Collaborate with product, finance, and customer service teams to align repayment strategies with overall business goals.
- Drive continuous improvement in recovery methods, customer engagement, and overall repayment operations to meet portfolio performance targets.
- Use innovative and field-tested approaches to recovery that enhance customer trust and retention.
2. Team Leadership and Field Operations
- Lead and expand both field-based and call center-based repayment teams across multiple regions.
- Ensure efficient allocation of personnel and resources to optimize coverage and cost-effectiveness.
- Build a strong culture of accountability, performance, and customer focus within the repayment operations teams.
- Conduct regular performance reviews and coaching sessions to maintain high standards and drive team development.
3. Data and Performance Analytics
- Design and maintain dashboards to monitor daily, weekly, and monthly repayment performance metrics.
- Utilize SQL to develop custom data queries for deeper insights into customer behavior, repayment trends, and operational performance.
- Present actionable insights and performance reports to senior management, enabling data-informed strategic decisions.
- Experiment with A/B testing of repayment strategies to measure effectiveness and implement results-driven modifications.
4. Operational Excellence
- Monitor and manage repayment costs across geographies, identifying opportunities to streamline operations.
- Develop and implement SOPs and best practices to improve efficiency, reduce operational risk, and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Align repayment processes with Apollo’s core value of customer centricity, ensuring that repayment interactions are respectful, constructive, and effective.
- Ensure strong interdepartmental coordination, particularly with sales, finance, technology, and product teams.
5. Customer Relationship Management
- Champion a respectful and empathetic approach to debt recovery, ensuring that customers feel supported and informed.
- Balance the urgency of repayment with Apollo’s long-term goal of cultivating lasting customer relationships.
- Integrate customer feedback into repayment processes to enhance effectiveness and experience.
- Engage directly with customers through field visits to gain firsthand insights and fine-tune operations.
6. Strategic Reporting and Senior Leadership Communication
- Serve as the main point of contact for repayment updates, risk assessments, and performance reports shared with Apollo’s leadership team.
- Contribute to quarterly and annual strategic planning processes by offering grounded insights and recommendations based on repayment trends.
- Identify and escalate systemic repayment risks or issues that may impact overall business performance.
- Stay abreast of industry best practices and regulatory changes that may influence repayment approaches or policies.
Requirements for Success in the Role
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in repayment operations, collections, credit, or other related functions, ideally within a fintech or agricultural finance context.
- Demonstrated success in managing and scaling large field and call center teams across diverse geographies.
- Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational execution.
- High proficiency in SQL and experience in building dashboards for performance tracking and strategic decision-making.
- Strong data orientation and a natural curiosity about what drives repayment behavior and performance.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of cross-functional collaboration.
- Willingness to travel frequently to rural areas and work closely with on-ground teams and customers.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth, customer-centric environments.
- Strong integrity, empathy, and a customer-first mindset.
What We Offer
Apollo Agriculture provides a workplace where driven professionals can make a real difference. This role is not only an opportunity to grow within a scaling fintech company but also a chance to shape how rural finance is delivered to underserved markets.
- A mission-driven culture focused on innovation and sustainable impact
- Leadership responsibilities with multi-country oversight
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- A highly collaborative team that values learning and results
- Frequent travel opportunities to operational areas for deeper engagement
- Access to cutting-edge technology tools for performance management
- A transparent and inclusive work environment that celebrates diversity and fairness
Our Work Culture
At Apollo Agriculture, our people are our strongest asset. We:
- Work collaboratively across functions, valuing smart, ambitious thinking from everyone on the team.
- Solve tough problems with creativity and perseverance, always aiming for scalable, impactful solutions.
- Encourage risk-taking and innovation, viewing failure as a learning opportunity.
- Listen actively and respect diverse perspectives, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard.
- Celebrate our wins and own our responsibilities from start to finish.
- Embrace autonomy, integrity, and a relentless focus on customers.
- Foster a safe, inclusive environment and uphold the highest ethical standards in all we do.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Apollo Agriculture is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace and do not discriminate based on race, age, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. We are also committed to providing a safe and productive working environment. Final candidates may be subject to background checks, including criminal history and motor vehicle records.
Apollo Agriculture does not and will not request any fees or monetary payments at any stage of the hiring process.
Ready to lead Apollo’s repayment operations and scale financial inclusion in agriculture? We’d love to hear from you.
