In January 2026, Sun King, the global leader in off-grid solar energy and Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) financing, announced a critical opening for the position of Credit Manager – PayGo Phones based in Arusha, Tanzania. This role is a cornerstone of Sun King’s expansion into the digital economy, specifically focusing on increasing smartphone penetration through affordable, risk-managed credit solutions.
Sun King is not just a solar company; it is a distributed utility and a financial inclusion engine. With over $1.4 billion in loans extended globally, the company’s success hinges on its ability to manage credit risk among the “unbanked” population. The Credit Manager for the PayGo Phones division in Tanzania will be the primary guardian of the loan portfolio, ensuring that as the company scales its smartphone sales, it maintains a healthy, sustainable repayment rate.
1. Position Overview: A High-Impact Field Leadership Role
The Credit Manager – PayGo Phones is a specialized role within the Global Risk and Credit Department. Unlike traditional office-bound credit managers, this position requires a high level of mobility and “on-the-ground” intelligence. The successful candidate will spend approximately 70% of their time in the field, engaging directly with customers, field agents, and regional teams to understand the pulse of the market.
| Feature | Details |
| Organization | Sun King (formerly Greenlight Planet) |
| Location | Arusha, Tanzania (with extensive regional travel) |
| Department | Global Risk and Credit |
| Job Type | Full-Time, Field-Based |
| Target Sector | PAYG Smartphone Financing |
2. Strategic Mandate: Balancing Growth and Risk
The primary objective of this role is to design and sustain robust credit risk controls. In the PAYG model, the product (the smartphone) acts as collateral; if the customer fails to pay, the phone is digitally locked. However, the goal of a Credit Manager is to prevent the lock from happening through better underwriting and customer education.
The three core pillars of the role include:
- Portfolio Quality: Ensuring the “health” of the thousands of active phone loans across Tanzania.
- Operational Excellence: Auditing the onboarding and KYC (Know Your Customer) processes to ensure only high-quality borrowers enter the system.
- Field Intervention: Designing localized strategies to recover “at-risk” loans before they turn into bad debt.
3. Key Responsibilities: The Technical Deep Dive
The Credit Manager’s duties are divided into analytical, operational, and investigative functions.
A. Portfolio Performance & Data Analytics
Sun King is a data-driven organization. The Credit Manager must be able to “read” the data to predict the future.
- Early Warning Systems: Reviewing repayment data to identify regions or customer segments showing signs of financial stress.
- Trend Analysis: Monitoring regional and product-level trends to see if external factors (like a poor harvest or local economic shifts) are impacting repayments.
- Reporting: Producing consistent, high-accuracy reports for the Global Risk team that translate raw numbers into actionable business insights.
B. Audit, Compliance & KYC
Credit risk starts the moment a customer expresses interest.
- Process Audits: Regularly reviewing how agents onboard customers. Are they verifying the customer’s home location? Are they checking the customer’s source of income?
- Gap Identification: Finding weaknesses in the “underwriting” process—the criteria used to decide who gets a phone—and proposing fixes.
- Regulatory Alignment: Ensuring all lending practices comply with Tanzanian financial regulations and internal Sun King policies.
C. Collections & Field-Based Recovery
When repayments lag, the Credit Manager moves from analysis to action.
- Preventative Strategies: Strengthening the “onboarding” experience so customers understand exactly how the PayGo model works.
- Field-Informed Collections: Collaborating with the 35,000+ field agents to design collection scripts and visit schedules that respect the customer while securing the payment.
- Bucket Alignment: Segmenting the portfolio (e.g., customers who are 1-7 days late vs. 30+ days late) and assigning specific recovery tactics to each “bucket.”
D. Pilot Management & Fraud Oversight
- Innovation Tracking: Overseeing small-scale tests of new credit policies before they are rolled out nationally.
- Fraud Resolution: Managing investigations into internal or external fraud, such as “identity theft” for phone applications or agent misconduct.
4. Candidate Profile: Qualifications & Experience
Sun King is looking for a “Heavyweight” professional with a deep background in the Tanzanian financial or microfinance landscape.
A. Education & Certification
- Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Risk Management, or Business.
- Preferred: Professional certifications in Credit Management, Data Science, or Statistics. The ability to manipulate and interpret large datasets is a significant advantage in this role.
B. Professional Experience
- Tenure: A minimum of 10 years of total experience in credit, risk, or audit roles.
- Leadership: At least 5 years in a management position, overseeing teams and operational processes.
- Context: Experience in the Tanzanian market is essential, particularly in roles that require field-based assessments rather than just head-office analysis.
C. Core Competencies
- Problem Solving: Ability to create “practical” solutions for field teams who may be working in remote, low-connectivity areas.
- Ethical Judgment: High discretion in handling sensitive customer data and investigating fraud.
- Stakeholder Management: Ability to influence “Sales” teams (who want to sell more) to prioritize “Credit Quality” (selling to the right people).
5. The Sun King Advantage: Why Arusha?
Arusha serves as a strategic hub for Sun King’s northern operations. As a Credit Manager here, you are at the intersection of Tanzania’s agricultural heartland and its growing urban centers.
- Social Impact: You are helping the 1.8 billion people globally who lack electricity and digital access. Every phone sold represents a household entering the digital economy.
- Growth Culture: Through the Sun King Center for Leadership, employees receive structured training to move into senior global roles.
- Multicultural Environment: You will collaborate with risk experts from across 14 countries, bringing global best practices to the Tanzanian context.
6. Application Protocol: How to Apply
The recruitment process for Sun King is highly professional and digitized.
- Application Link: Interested candidates must apply through the Sun King recruitment portal by clicking the “CLICK HERE TO APPLY“ button on the SSB CAREERHUB platform.
- Portfolio/CV: Ensure your CV explicitly highlights your people management experience and your history of managing field-based risk.
- Deadline: While no specific hour is mentioned, most Sun King roles are filled quickly once a qualified pool is identified.
Critical Warning on Employment Scams: Sun King is a global leader. They never ask for money for applications, interviews, or “job security” fees. If someone claiming to represent Sun King asks for a payment via Mobile Money or any other method, report it as a scam immediately.
7. Strategic Advice for Shortlisted Candidates
If you are called for an interview, expect a rigorous assessment of your analytical and leadership skills.
- Know the Product: Understand the difference between Sun King’s solar lighting kits and their PayGo Smartphone offering. The risk profiles are very different.
- Prepare Case Studies: Be ready to discuss a time when you identified a high-risk trend in a portfolio and successfully implemented a strategy to reverse it.
- Focus on the “70% Field” Aspect: Demonstrate your willingness and physical ability to travel to rural Tanzania to meet agents and customers. Sun King values leaders who “get their boots dirty.”
8. Summary Table: At a Glance
| Category | Requirement / Detail |
| Education | Bachelor’s in Finance/Risk + Credit Certification |
| Experience | 10 Years Total |
| Travel | 70% Field-Based |
| Key Focus | Portfolio Health of PayGo Smartphones |
| Company Scale | 25 Million Homes Powered |
9. Conclusion: Driving Financial Inclusion in Tanzania
The Credit Manager – PayGo Phones position at Sun King is more than just a job in finance; it is a mission to empower Tanzanians. By 2026, the smartphone is no longer a luxury—it is a tool for education, health, and business. Your role in managing the credit risk of these devices ensures that Sun King can continue to offer these life-changing tools to the people who need them most.