The Client Relationship Officer is primarily responsible for initiating and managing all client-facing interactions in the field: identifying, selecting, and onboarding appropriate clients as per BKCL’s mission and prioritising inclusion of participants from other BRAC programmes; initiating loan applications and credit appraisals within applicable turnaround times; coordinating timely loan disbursements; managing and facilitating group meetings as per set schedules; ensuring timely collections from clients as per set schedules; ensuring effective delinquency management in adherence to BKCL’s policies; and coordinating with the Customer Service Officer to log, resolve, and/or escalate client complaints.
Across these responsibilities, the Client Relationship Officer will adhere to the Client Protection standards, BKCL’s policies and protocols, and compliance requirements, to ensure high standards of customer service and satisfaction at each touchpoint of the client journey.
Key Responsibilities
Client Selection and Onboarding
- Conduct product promotion activities at the individual, household, market, and community levels within demarcation limits, in collaboration with local leaders and relevant authorities, where needed, to clearly and accurately describe the value proposition of BKCL’s products and services, pricing and fees, and other terms and conditions.
- Using the Digital Field Application (DFA) mobile app, conduct door-to-door household surveys in the demarcated area to identify eligible clients and generate leads as per set targets, with special focus on women, youth (aged 18-35), populations living in poverty, and participants of other BRAC programmes.
- Prepare and submit member admission forms (exclusively on the DFA) for client onboarding and creation, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and authenticity of all information submitted, to facilitate verification of the client’s identity, phone ownership, credit risk score, and sanction and risk screening.
- Maintain and ensure the accuracy of client records by promptly notifying the Branch Accounts Officer of any updates to the client profile and therefore any amendments to be made.
- Adhere to Client Protection Standards in product promotion, and the collection and storage of client information, particularly but not limited to, transparency, and data privacy and confidentiality; ensure secure handling and responsible use of the assigned digital devices, maintaining data accuracy and confidentiality at all times.
Group Formation and Facilitation
- Organise clients into groups for effective follow-up and administration, ensuring adherence to minimum and maximum group sizes; coordinate with the Branch Manager in the re-organisation of groups if they exceed maximum size.
- Guide new groups in the setting up of group governance / administrative structures, such as group leadership (chairperson, treasurer, and secretary), setup of small groups and selection of small group leaders, group meeting days and locations, etc.
- Support the group chairperson in ensuring group discipline and attendance; track group meeting attendance (exclusively on the DFA) at the individual client level.
- Coordinate with the Branch Manager for any transfers of existing clients into or out of the group, as well as for any group-requested changes to meeting days.
- Effectively deliver Financial & Digital Literacy, and Life Skills Training (FLT) during group meetings to support the capacity-building of clients, tracking session attendance and completion rates at the individual client-level.
Loan Application Initiation and Processing
- Orient (and ensure timely communication with) prospective clients on information to be collected and documents to be submitted as part of the loan application process; ensure the customer record is up-to-date for repeat clients and make amendments as needed.
- Input and submit loan application forms (exclusively on the DFA), ensuring completeness, accuracy, and authenticity of all information and any supporting documentation submitted.
- As part of the loan application, conduct thorough credit appraisals for clients to propose appropriate loan amounts, balancing both client financial needs and prevention of over-indebtedness.
- Participate in the Branch Credit Committee (BCC) meetings as required, proposing loans based on documented appraisal findings and ensuring completeness of documentation before BCC review.
- In a timely manner, act on feedback from the BCC to ensure that loan documentation is complete and compliant.
- Leveraging available tools of work, orient clients in clear and simple language on the full terms and conditions of the loan (pricing, fees, deductions from the loan amount, client obligations, consequences of default, etc.) to enable them to make an informed decision prior to entering into a formal agreement.
- With the Branch Accounts Officer, prepare and align on the disbursement sheets in advance of disbursement days, and prepare the disbursement file and passbooks for each client as necessary.
- Support the Branch Manager in delivering in-person Pre-Disbursement Orientations (PDOs) for newly-onboarded clients on disbursement days.
- Following loan disbursement to clients’ mobile wallets, cross-check that the appropriate amounts have been disbursed to the respective clients minus applicable deductions.
Collections and Delinquency Management
- Provide continuous handholding to clients on the processes for making payments to BKCL through approved channels (M-PESA).
- At group meetings, verify loan installment payments made by each individual client against figures recorded on the system to confirm payments and identify mismatches; appropriately record / update client passbooks.
- Monitor and follow up on clients with arrears, following the timelines / processes and in liaising with the relevant parties (guarantors, group members, etc.) as set out in BKCL’s lending policies and while also ensuring fair and respectful treatment of clients.
- Actively prohibit group liability / contributions, ensuring that each client within the group is solely responsible for making only their own installment payments.
Complaint Handling and Customer Service
- Manage and monitor client complaint handling at the branch level, ensuring that all client feedback and complaints are formally documented, escalated to the right individuals, and resolved within admissible timelines; ensure that clients are formally updated on the status of resolution.
- Monitor and review trends in recorded feedback and complaints from clients, and raise them to respective field supervisors and the head office focal, as a means of guiding BKCL management on improvements that can be made to complaint handling processes and to BKCL’s overall business model.
- At each touchpoint in the client journey, ensure timely, transparent client communication that is in clear and simple language understood by the clients; maintain an open channel with clients to respond to any queries.
- Ensure fair, professional, and respectful treatment of clients at each touchpoint of the client journey.
- Maintain the privacy and confidentiality of client information, and orient clients on their data rights.
- Across all activities, adhere to the Client Protection Standards, BRAC values, BKCL’s policies / processes and operational standards, and compliance requirements to ensure efficient, consistent service delivery and a high standard of customer service.
Reporting and Coordination
- Work with the Branch Manager to set annual, quarterly, and monthly targets (relating but not limited to outreach to mission segments, new members onboarded, disbursements, realization, etc.); develop action plans accordingly and share regular updates on achievement against set targets.
- Monitor and consistently drive outreach to BKCL’s mission segments as per set targets, specifically women, youth (aged 18-35), rural populations, populations living in poverty, and participants of BRAC Kenya NGO programmes.
- Escalate any identified mismatches relating to client transactions to the Branch Accounts Officer and Branch Manager for timely resolution.
- Identify and immediately escalate suspected fraud, misrepresentation, or document falsification during client onboarding and loan processing.
- Participate and contribute to monthly meetings with all BKCL and BRAC Kenya NGO programme staff to share updates, highlight challenges and learnings, and discuss possible solutions.
Safeguarding
- Read, understand, and comply with BKCL’s safeguarding policy and procedures at all times.
- Promote awareness of safeguarding standards within the branch and ensure safeguarding principles are applied in day-to-day activities.
- Conduct all financial and client interactions in a manner that upholds dignity, respect, and protection of vulnerable individuals.
- Immediately report any safeguarding concerns or reportable incidents in accordance with the established safeguarding reporting procedures.
- Encourage colleagues to adhere to safeguarding standards and reporting requirements.
Educational & Experience Requirements
- Bachelors Degree / Diploma in Development Studies, Accounting, Finance, Banking, Business Administration, Commerce, Economics, or a related field.
Required Competencies
- Good customer service skills, with experience in adult teaching methods considered an added advantage
- Ability to handle confidential client information with integrity and confidentiality
- Good organisational and documentation management skills
- Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines
- Good communication skills, with the ability to speak and write both in English and the local dialect
- Familiarity with digital payment platforms (e.g., mobile money and bank transfers)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and internet-based tools
- Commitment to client service excellence and alignment with BKCL’s values and mission
- Proficiency in the local language(s) of the respective county will be an added advantage.
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