WeRize - Chief Manager - Strategic Initiatives - Credit/Risk & Collections (5-10 yrs)

About WeRize

Founded in 2019 by Vishal Chopra and Himanshu Gupta, WeRize is building India's largest full stack fintech platform for 500 million underserved middle-class customers who live in 5000+ small towns of India. WeRize (Wortgage technologies pvt ltd) also owns RBI registered NBFC subsidiary (Wortgage Finance pvt ltd). This customer segment is not served by private sector banks, Insurers and Mutual Fund companies due to their low ticket-size and lifetime value and is dependent on PSU/Govt banks, PSU/Government banks rarely provide financial products beyond basic savings accounts and these customers lack access to unsecured loans, MSME loans, credit cards, affordable housing loans, loan against property , health and life insurance and investment products. WeRize manufactures innovative unsecured consumer credit, mortgages, loan against property, MSME loans, savings and insurance products designed for this customer base keeping in mind their needs, requirements and purchasing power, with a view to add a layer of financial security to their lives and enable access to credit.

While customers in these geographies use smartphones, they need proper guidance and support when purchasing the right financial products for themselves. So, a pure digital model doesn't work for this segment. WeRize has innovated on this front through its 'Finance ki online dukaan (Social Shopify of Finance)', a first of its kind social distribution tech platform in the financial services space that educates and enables local financially literate freelancers across these small towns to source business through online and offline channels, recommend the right financial product(s) to customers as well as provide aftersalessupport. These freelancers, who are located in more than 5000+ towns and cities, earn as much as INR 30,000 a month from WeRize in commissions.

Our social distribution platform supported by financially literate freelancers means exceptionally low cost of customer acquisition (CAC) and operations costs compared to both fully digital and on-the-ground financial services providers. Digital conversions among this target group are way lower when compared to upper income customers in metros and hence pure digital CAC doesn't work for this segment. While companies like LIC and Fino Bank also rely on freelancer distribution, they deploy local on-field teams/branches to manage freelancers in every city. That results in very high CAC and operations costs for such companies. WeRize on the other hand, has been able to acquire, train and manage thousands of freelancersin 5000+ cities only through itstech platform and without any feet-on-street team of its own. This results in highly profitable business model for Werize.

To know more about the company, please visit: https://www.werize.com

Role Description:

The Chief Manager - Strategic Initiatives will be responsible for identifying gaps in credit, risk, and collection processes, developing data-driven solutions, and driving strategic improvements. This role requires close collaboration with credit, risk, collections, data science, technology and business teams to enhance portfolio performance, optimize credit decisioning, and strengthen risk management frameworks.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Credit & Risk Strategy Development

- Formulate and implement credit risk strategies to optimize portfolio performance and minimize risk exposure.

- Identify key gaps in credit underwriting, risk management, and collection effectiveness, and present actionable solutions to leadership.

- Work closely with credit, risk, and collection teams to refine policies and ensure alignment with business objectives.

2. Portfolio Analytics & Risk Assessment

- Conduct in-depth analysis of credit portfolios to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.

- Utilize past collection data and customer dispositions to derive insights and enhance credit policies.

- Develop and monitor key risk indicators (KRIs) and portfolio health metrics to improve decision-making.

3. Data-Driven Decision Making & Automation

- Lead automation initiatives for credit assessment, approval, and monitoring to improve efficiency and accuracy.

- Collaborate with IT, data science, and operations teams to integrate advanced credit scoring models and digital workflows.

- Implement predictive analytics and machine learning techniques to enhance risk assessment and collection efficiency.

4. Stakeholder Collaboration & Leadership Reporting

- Act as a bridge between credit, risk, collections, and business teams to drive strategic initiatives.

- Liaise with internal and external stakeholders, including business heads, credit & risk teams, collection operations, and technology partners.

- Present data-driven insights, credit strategy updates, and portfolio performance metrics to senior management.

Attributes we are looking for:

- Education: Full-time MBA or Engineering degree from a premier institute. Advanced degrees or relevant certifications (FRM, CFA, PRM) are a plus.

- Experience: 5-6 years in credit strategy, risk management, collection strategy, and portfolio analytics, preferably in banking or financial services.

Technical Skills:

- Proficiency in SQL, Python, and advanced Excel for data analysis and modeling.

- Experience with credit scoring models, risk analytics, and automation tools.

- Analytical & Problem-Solving Abilities: Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret complex data and provide actionable insights.

- Communication & Presentation: Ability to effectively engage with senior leadership and cross-functional teams, presenting insights and strategies clearly