Director of Portfolio Risk

Who we are:

We're one of Europe's fastest-growing fintech companies – on a mission to create the world's most empowering way to pay.

We launched the product in 2020 and achieved double unicorn status, valued at $2 billion, and since then have taken on more than 6 million customers.

Our mission is to become the best way to pay for anything, anywhere and say goodbye to credit costs for everyone. This is huge. Want to join us?

About the role.

This is an exciting opportunity to step into a key leadership role at a fast-growing fintech, playing a central part in Zilch’s continued growth journey. As Director of Portfolio Management, you will own how we manage credit risk and drive sustainable profitability across our existing customer book. You’ll be responsible for shaping and evolving the strategy that determines how we grow customer value over time, how we manage exposure, and how we balance customer outcomes with commercial performance.

Zilch is at an exciting stage of its journey, with strong momentum and significant opportunity ahead. This role sits at the heart of that trajectory, working closely with senior stakeholders across the business to optimise the performance of a growing and increasingly valuable customer portfolio.

While this is a leadership role, it is also a hands-on one. You’ll lead a small, high-performing team, while remaining close to the detail, setting direction, guiding execution, and ensuring we are making smart, data-driven decisions across the customer lifecycle.

With a high degree of ownership and visibility, this role offers a strong platform for senior development and the opportunity to play a meaningful role in shaping how Zilch manages risk, profitability, and customer growth at scale.

Key responsibilities.

• Own and evolve Zilch’s portfolio management strategy, balancing profitability, credit risk, customer value, and risk appetite

• Define and optimise customer management frameworks across the existing book, including credit limits, product graduations, exposure management, and lifecycle treatment strategies

• Develop a deep understanding of portfolio economics and customer behaviour, using this to inform strategy, trade-offs, and prioritisation

• Take ownership of portfolio performance and key risk metrics, driving continuous improvement across profitability, losses, utilisation, arrears, and customer outcomes

• Lead the development and refinement of credit limit management strategies, ensuring exposure is allocated effectively and sustainably

• Shape product graduation and lifecycle strategies, identifying opportunities to deepen customer relationships while managing risk appropriately

• Monitor portfolio performance and emerging risk trends, identifying opportunities and taking action to optimise outcomes

• Partner closely with Product, Data, Finance, Operations, and Commercial teams to deliver initiatives that improve portfolio performance

• Drive targeted initiatives and projects, ensuring clear delivery, robust measurement, and measurable commercial impact

• Provide clear, data-driven insight and recommendations to senior stakeholders, supporting key strategic and risk decisions

• Maintain strong governance across portfolio management activity, ensuring strategies are well controlled, documented, and aligned with risk appetite

• Lead and develop a small team, setting clear direction while supporting their growth and impact

What we’re looking for.

• Strong experience in credit risk, portfolio management, customer management, or lifecycle strategy, ideally within fintech or consumer lending

• A track record of improving portfolio profitability while maintaining disciplined credit performance

• Good understanding of portfolio dynamics, customer unit economics, credit performance, and risk-adjusted returns

• Experience designing and optimising strategies across credit limits, exposure management, product graduation, or customer lifecycle management

• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to translate data into clear decisions and commercial action

• Experience operating with ownership in a fast-paced, data-driven environment

• Comfortable working hands-on while also setting direction and leading others

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and operate with senior visibility

• Good understanding of governance, controls, and risk appetite frameworks within a regulated lending environment

• Commercially minded, with the ability to balance growth, profitability, risk, and customer outcomes
  

  Benefits.
  Compensation & Savings:

• Pension scheme.

• Death in Service scheme.

• Income Protection.

• Permanent employees enjoy access to our Share Options Scheme.

• 5% back on in-app purchases.

• £200 for WFH Setup.

Health & Wellbeing:

• Private Medical Insurance including;

• GP consultations (video, telephone or face-to-face).

• Prescribed medication.

• In-patient, day-patient and out-patient care.

• Mental health support.

• Optical, dental & audiological cover.

• Physiotherapy.

• Advanced cancer cover.

• Menopause support.

• Employee Assistance Programme including:

  • Unlimited mental health sessions.

  • 24/7 remote GP & physiotherapy.

  • 24/7 helpline for emotional & practical support.

• Savings & discounts on everyday shopping.

• 1:1 personalised well-being consultations.

• Gym membership discounts.

Family Friendly Policies:

• Enhanced maternity pay.

• Enhanced paternity pay.

• Enhanced adoption pay.

• Enhanced shared parental leave.

Learning & Development:

• Professional Qualifications.

• Professional Memberships.

• Learning Suite for e-courses.

• Internal Training Programmes.

• FCA & Regulatory training.

Workplace Perks:

• Hybrid working: office-based Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; remote working Tuesday and Friday

• Casual dress code.

• Workplace socials.

• Healthy snacks.