Trade Finance Officer - Invoice Discounting
No salary listed
Junior
Bachelor's
Nairobi, Kenya
In Person
Finance & BankingRetail & Commercial Banking
About the job
Requirements
- A Bachelor of Commerce degree is required; Finance, Banking, or Accounting is a preferred option.
- At least two years of relevant experience in trade finance, SME or business lending, credit analysis, invoice discounting, supply-chain finance, relationship management, or a closely related financial-services role.
- Ability to review financial and transaction documents, assess repayment sources, and manage customer relationships.
- Good working knowledge of credit documentation, KYC/AML requirements, lending controls, and portfolio monitoring.
- A clean integrity record is required; the successful candidate will be subject to background, CRB, and police clearance checks.
- Strong understanding of purchase orders, contracts, invoices, delivery evidence, working-capital cycles, cash flows, and repayment structures.
- Ability to identify inconsistent, altered, or fraudulent documents, duplicate financing, and repayment risks.
- Understanding of logbooks, guarantees, and assignments of receivables, including how they are perfected and how set-off and retentions work.
- Proactive business sourcing, relationship building, and negotiation, with sound judgement to decline weak deals.
- Accurate documentation, effective prioritisation, and timely coordination across teams.
- Clear written and spoken communication with customers, buyers' finance teams, and internal stakeholders.
- Sound judgement, confidentiality, attention to detail, and willingness to escalate concerns.
- Strong spreadsheet skills, effective use of business systems, and accurate pipeline and portfolio reporting.
Responsibilities
- Build a qualified pipeline of suppliers and contractors serving public institutions and established corporates through direct outreach, existing clients, referrals, business teams, and agents.
- Source customers across energy and utilities, health, manufacturing and FMCG, construction and building materials, and agriculture and processing.
- Explain product features, eligibility, documentation, pricing, and obligations clearly without promising approval or payment outcomes.
- Maintain a balanced, evidence-based pipeline across both products and track leads, conversions, and reasons for declined applications.
- Build lasting customer relationships and pursue repeat business where facilities have performed well.
- Screen LPO financing applications backed by valid LPOs, contracts, or confirmed purchase instructions.
- Verify orders directly with the issuing entity, including authenticity, value, remaining balance, payment terms, delivery milestones, acceptance conditions, cancellation clauses, and limits on assignment.
- Assess suppliers’ experience, capacity, own contribution, cash flow, and ability to deliver on time.
- Review supplier quotations and fulfilment budgets and recommend suitable facility structures within product parameters.
- Coordinate controlled or milestone-based disbursements against verified fulfilment needs.
- Where permitted, arrange for order proceeds to be paid into a designated Bank account.
- Track orders through delivery, acceptance, and repayment, and escalate early signs of non-delivery.
- Screen invoice-discounting applications backed by genuine, outstanding invoices for goods delivered or services accepted by an eligible buyer.
- Confirm invoice authenticity, balance, buyer obligation, and payment date directly with the buyer using independently sourced contacts.
- Check delivery notes, completion certificates, and GRNs, and assess buyers’ payment histories, deductions, retention, set-off rights, and disputes.
- Confirm receivables have not been financed, pledged, or assigned elsewhere; check for duplicate invoices and escalate irregularities.
- Recommend advances within product parameters and exclude disputed, overdue, conditional, or previously financed invoices.
- Coordinate assignment of receivables, buyer acknowledgement, and controlled payment instructions where legally approved.
- Track invoice maturity, follow up before due dates, reconcile collections, and promptly escalate overdue invoices.
- Compile complete customer files containing KYC records, company profiles, bank statements, financial information, and order or invoice evidence.
- Prepare transaction summaries covering customer capacity, repayment source, cash flow, key risks, proposed advance, and mitigants.
- Coordinate independent credit appraisal and approval, and ensure no commitment or disbursement occurs before all approvals and conditions precedent are met.
- Coordinate facility letters, security documents, guarantees, and assignments, and ensure logbook or other security is verified and perfected before disbursement.
- Ensure customers receive clear disclosure of pricing, fees, tenor, repayment obligations, and consequences of default.
- Monitor every facility through fulfilment, invoice maturity, repayment, arrears, and recovery.
- Maintain accurate transaction registers and complete audit trails of every verification and approval.
- Monitor customer, buyer, sector, and product concentration; promptly flag exceptions, suspected fraud, diversion of proceeds, and policy breaches.
- Produce monthly pipeline, disbursement, income, and arrears reports split by product, and recommend product and process improvements.
- Work with Credit, Risk, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Technology while upholding maker-checker controls and segregation of duties.
- Handle customer information confidentially and comply with Bank policies, KYC/AML requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
Desired Qualifications
- Hands-on experience with both LPO financing and invoice discounting.
- A professional qualification or progress towards one, such as CPA(K), ACCA, CIFA, AKIB, or a certificate in trade finance or credit.
- An existing network of suppliers and contractors serving public bodies or large corporates.
- Knowledge of public procurement processes and payment cycles, including IFMIS.
- Experience with logbook-secured lending, CRB checks, and core banking systems.
- A valid driving licence.
About the company
Umba is a digital bank in Africa focused on Kenya and Nigeria. Its mobile app provides free checking, transfers, bill payments, and deposits, powered by a credit-led model that also offers salary advances, installment loans, SME financing, and payroll solutions for businesses. In Kenya, Umba became a licensed microfinance bank after acquiring Daraja Microfinance Bank, enabling full banking services like current accounts and savings, while serving customers through a network of 5,000+ agents. The company uses machine learning to assess credit risk, approve loans, and detect fraud, aiming to expand affordable, convenient digital banking and credit to individuals and SMEs across emerging markets.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Debt Financing
Total Funding
$27.3M
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
Founded
2018
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- April 2025 Star Strong debt funded Umba's loan book expansion without equity dilution.
- TechCabal reported sixfold revenue growth in 2024 and 19% monthly gains.
- Peach Cars' 24-hour car-finance partnership and six-hour online underwriting accelerate high-value loan origination.
What critics are saying
- FairMoney's 2024 $20 million acquisition talks expose Umba's weak standalone exit options.
- Umba's 2023 bridge round at $25 million signaled brutal down-round pressure and funding fragility.
- Loan-book losses or recessionary defaults can choke debt capital, forcing a shutdown or fire-sale.
What makes Umba unique
- Kenya's microfinance license gives Umba regulated deposit-taking distribution and secured lending access.
- Umba's 5,000-agent Kenyan network converts dealerships and field agents into customer acquisition channels.
- Vehicle financing and SME loans define Umba's credit-led model, not generic consumer banking.
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Benefits
- Remote Work Options