Chief Operating Officer

JOB DESCRIPTION: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO)

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

Employment Type: Full-Time

Seniority: Executive Leadership

Role Overview

The Chief Operating Officer will oversee the operational engine of a fast-growing digital credit and financial services organisation. The role requires a process-driven, execution-focused leader who can transform strategy into seamless operations, implement strong controls, optimise systems, and ensure the organisation scales efficiently and profitably. The COO will drive operational excellence across all business units, working closely with the CEO and executive team.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Strategy & Execution

• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with company goals for growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

• Translate business strategy into clear operational plans, processes, and SOPs.

• Lead enterprise-wide transformation initiatives to strengthen efficiency and scale.

1. Day-to-Day Operations Management

• Oversee operations across credit administration, customer operations, collections, technology enablement, risk, and support functions.

• Implement structured workflows that reduce bottlenecks and increase productivity.

• Ensure service delivery meets or exceeds SLAs and customer experience standards.

1. Process Improvement & Systems Optimisation

• Build, streamline, and automate processes to reduce operational risk and improve throughput.

• Drive continuous improvement using analytics, dashboards, and performance metrics.

• Partner with technology teams to integrate systems that enhance speed, accuracy, and resilience.

1. Risk, Compliance & Control Framework

• Strengthen risk management across operations, credit processes, data integrity, and compliance.

• Implement strong internal controls and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.

• Coordinate with audit, finance, and risk teams to maintain a high standard of governance.

1. People Leadership & Culture Development

• Lead, coach, and empower operations managers and their teams.

• Build a culture of ownership, excellence, and accountability at all levels.

• Align staffing, training, and performance management with organisational priorities.

1. Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as an integrator across departments—ensuring alignment between product, credit, finance, technology, sales, and support teams.

• Anticipate operational needs and provide proactive solutions.

• Drive execution of strategic initiatives and ensure seamless team collaboration.

1. Operational Performance & Reporting

• Establish KPIs, dashboards, and reporting frameworks that provide visibility into operational performance.

• Monitor productivity, quality, costs, and compliance metrics and drive corrective actions.

• Report operational insights and recommendations to the CEO and the Board.

Requirements

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, Finance, or related fields.

• Minimum 10–15 years progressive experience in operations leadership roles.

• Experience in digital lending, fintech, banking, microfinance, consumer credit, or technology-enabled services is required.

• Proven track record in scaling operations, improving processes, and leading multi-functional teams in fast-paced environments.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong operational design, process engineering, and execution skills.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management abilities.

• Deep understanding of credit operations, customer operations, and risk processes.

• Proficiency in leveraging data analytics for performance optimisation.

• Ability to manage complexity and implement structure in high-growth organisations.

Core Leadership Qualities

• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and execution-focused.

• Strong sense of ownership with a bias for action.

• Analytical, structured, and solutions-driven.

• Calm under pressure, with excellent judgement and decision-making skills.

• Committed to building a high-performance culture.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should send the following to

1. Updated CV (PDF preferred)

2. A short cover email highlighting:

• Relevant experience in operations and leadership

• Key achievements in scaling or transforming operations

• Expected salary

• Notice period / earliest start date

Email Subject: Application for Chief Operating Officer (COO)