Manager: Credit Control at MTN

Key Performance Areas: Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position 
The Manager: Credit Control will be responsible to achieve the following objectives:

• Assess creditworthiness of existing or prospective customers across all business units including collection, assessment and central storage of Know-Your-Customer documentation
• Performing credit checks on customers in accordance with the principles contained in the GC Credit Management Policy (“Credit Policy”) and calculating a credit score and risk grading
• Evaluation of customer financial statements and financial ratio analysis to determine the customers capacity to repay including affordability assessments
• Procurement of a reputable credit scoring organisation/credit bureau for credit rating of prospective customers
• Based on risk grading outcomes, propose terms of engagement (prepayment, post-paid, cash deposits required, credit limits) and obtain CFO approval for feedback to the business units
• Implement an automated solution for credit limit allocation and real-time monitoring to ensure usage does not exceed the credit limits
• Monitor existing customer usage against the credit limits allocated or cash deposits received and periodic assessment of the limits to ensure relevancy
• Maintain a list of customers with prepaid terms separately and monitor usage against the prepayment(s) made by the customer
• Proactively manage the company’s credit exposure by evaluating changes in the customers economy/market, industry and customer specific circumstances
• Maintain age analysis, overdue balances and DSO for each business segment with monthly reporting to management to track and monitor the movements of account balances and manage credit risk expectations or anticipation of write-offs
• Monitoring receipt of payment of outstanding invoices, initiation of collection processes and procedures and the on-going review of collection reports to ascertain the status of collection practices
• Initiate collection plans with existing customers, engaging external debt collectors as a strategic effort for recovery of long overdue balances
• Calculate interest on overdue accounts in accordance with the principles outlined in the Credit Policy, distribute the interest invoices to customers and recognition thereof in the accounting ledger system
• Determine bad debt write offs/recoveries ensuring approved in accordance with the GC Delegation of Authority (“DoA”)
• Calculate and assess the provision for bad debts (both general and specific) in accordance with IFRS 9
• Owner of the Credit Policy by ensuring it is regularly reviewed, updated and maintained for relevancy including company compliance with the Policy
• Implement continuous credit risk exposure improvement initiatives to protect the company against potential financial losses
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across all business segments on operative accounts receivable topics (e.g. critical customer payment issues)
• Create a highly visible and positive experience through the professional engagement with both internal and external contacts including dealing with direct enquiries in a courteous and timeous manner

Role Deliverables

• Credit vetting & credit rating of new customers
• Financial ratio analysis
• Credit terms and credit limit monitoring (automated solution)
• Credit exposure management
• Age analysis & DSO management
• Collection management
• Interest on overdue accounts
• Bad debt write offs/recoveries, Provision for bad debts

Role Dependencies

• Business/Commercial teams
• SA and Dubai Finance teams
• MTN GlobalConnect management

Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Competencies)

Education:

• Minimum 4-year degree in Finance or Business
• CA / ACMA (CIMA) /ACCA
• Fluent in English and language of country preferable

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in in credit management (telecom carrier business advantageous); with experience in supervising/managing others
• Good exposure in credit management tools
• Business partner and present confidently at different levels of the organisation
• Good telecom carrier services business acumen
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to interpret financial and non-financial information
• Dealing with complex customers
• Attention to detail
• Commitment to results (self-starting, opportunity grabber)
• People management
• Experience working in a medium to large organization

Competencies:

• Exposure to various carrier systems
• Understanding of the credit lifecycle
• Key understanding of Telecom products and services
• Ability to manage and communicate with existing & potential customers in a multicultural, cross-border environment
• High calibre communication and presentation skills
• Strong analytical skills & line management skills
• Detail and process oriented
• Team player, highly motivated and flexible

Head

• Executes tactical plans to achieve strategic requirements
• Has the mental agility to identify and solve relevant business challenges
• Executes and identifies opportunities for commercial innovation and continuous improvement

Heart

• Role models ethical practices by living the MTN values and vital behaviours for others to follow
• Is self-aware and supports team capability development through opportunity creation for realising potential
• Builds professional networks across teams through collaboration and co-operation

Hands

• Produces sustainable business results through ethical practices
• Sets priorities, plans, organizes and co-ordinates the work of others