Navin Jha
Experienced Banking & Finance Professional | Operations Specialist | Credit & Underwriting Expert | Education Loan Specialist
Ghaziabad
Summary
Seasoned Banking and Finance Professional with over 24 years of comprehensive experience across Operations, Credit, and Underwriting. Demonstrated expertise in the education loan segment, with a strong track record at leading financial institutions including ICICI Bank Ltd. and Credila Financial Services Ltd. Skilled in credit appraisal, risk assessment, regulatory compliance, and process automation. Adept at building and leading high-performing teams, driving operational excellence, and implementing strategic initiatives that enhance business outcomes.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
2001
2001
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Credit Manager - National Underwriting
Credila Financial Services Ltd
03.2020 - Current
- Manage end-to-end credit underwriting for secured and unsecured education loans across India, ensuring adherence to internal credit policies and regulatory guidelines.
- Conduct detailed assessments of loan applications, analyzing financials, academic records, and employment history of applicants and co-applicants.
- Engage in personal discussions with applicants to assess income stability, repayment capacity, and overall creditworthiness.
- Review property documents, legal opinions, and valuation reports to confirm the adequacy and suitability of collateral for secured loan proposals.
- Coordinate with legal and technical vendors to ensure thorough due diligence and accurate verification of loan-related documents.
- Train and mentor new credit analysts on credit appraisal techniques, risk assessment, internal systems, and product policies to ensure team consistency and compliance.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Operations, Legal, and Compliance teams to ensure smooth post-sanction processing and enhance customer satisfaction.
- Perform contextual underwriting based on factors such as country of study, course type, university ranking, and student background.
- Evaluate student academic profiles, considering academic consistency, standardized test scores (GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, SAT), gaps, and backlogs.
- Analyze credit bureau reports (CIBIL/Equifax) to assess repayment history, existing liabilities, delinquencies, and any past write-offs or settlements.
- Determine loan feasibility by analyzing financial status, credit history, and property evaluations.
- Investigate customer profiles to identify creditworthiness and potential risk factors.
Area Manager - Operations
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
10.2018 - 02.2020
- Headed North & East India operations with a 20-member team, overseeing education loan operations and customer service, ensuring timely disbursements and strict policy compliance.
- Led process simplification, automation, and system enhancements to improve efficiency, record management, branch accuracy, and turnaround times (TAT).
- Managed customer service functions including NOC issuance, property document handover, post-disbursal requests, and complaint resolution within defined TAT, minimizing escalations.
- Developed Operations Manual and NDC checklists for education loans; conducted training sessions across branches for Credit and Operations teams on updated processes and policies.
- Oversaw secured and unsecured education loan processes, including property document verification and empanelment of lawyers and valuers across the region.
Sr Manager - Operations
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
03.2014 - 09.2016
- Led North & East India operations with a 20-member team, managing education loan operations and customer service, ensuring timely disbursements and policy compliance.
- Implemented process simplifications, automation, and system enhancements to improve efficiency and branch accuracy.
- Managed customer service, NOC issuance, property document handover, and post-disbursal requests, maintaining high customer satisfaction.
- Developed Operations Manuals and NDC Checklists; conducted training for branch staff on credit and operations processes.
- Oversaw secured and unsecured loan processing, including property verification and vendor empanelment of lawyers and valuers.
Manager - Operations
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
03.2011 - 10.2014
- Supervised North India operations with a 16-member team, managing education loan operations and customer service to ensure timely disbursements and policy compliance.
- Led process simplification, automation, and system updates to improve efficiency, record management, and branch accuracy.
- Managed customer service functions including NOC issuance, property document handover, and post-disbursal requests/complaints, ensuring prompt resolution and high satisfaction.
- Developed Operations Manual and NDC Checklists for education loan processes.
Asst Manager - Credit
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
03.2008 - 03.2011
- Conducted initial screening of education loan applications, assessing eligibility against product policies through detailed credit analysis, personal discussions, and business visits.
- Supported Regional Credit Manager (RCM) in making sound credit decisions by evaluating borrower eligibility, repayment capacity, and adherence to credit policies.
- Coordinated and supervised loan disbursal activities, working closely with customers and sales teams to meet monthly targets while ensuring strict compliance with Non-Discrepancy Checks.
- Managed and liaised with lawyers and valuers across North and East regions to verify legal documentation and valuation reports for secured collateral, mitigating credit risk.
- Performed credit appraisal by analyzing financial statements, credit bureau reports, and repayment histories to ensure robust underwriting and portfolio quality.
Senior Executive - Disbursement (Operations)
ICICI Bank Ltd
11.2004 - 02.2008
- Performed Non-Discrepancy checks and managed disbursement of retail assets (TW Loans, Personal Loan, Home Loan).
- Prepared Cheques and DDs for disbursements to suppliers, dealers, and customers; maintained daily/monthly disbursement data.
- Prepared Daily Branch Metrics (DRE, Disbursed files, Customer Help Desk, Sanctions, PDDs) and maintained various trackers (File Movement, Productivity, CPA Errors).
- Handled comprehensive branch banking activities including daily receipts entry, cheque database uploading, and pay-in slip generation.
- Reconciled customer statements, managed queries, escalations, and grievances; maintained daily/monthly MIS for Consumer and Home loan.
- Managed daily cash counter transactions (approx. Rs 10 Lacs daily).
Back Office Coordinator
Aalay Financial Services
01.2002 - 10.2004
- Managed back-office operations and coordinated seamlessly with branch offices to ensure smooth loan processing.
- Oversaw sanction process by verifying income documents, approvals, RCU, deduplication checks, FI reports, and KYC compliance as per credit policies.
- Handled disbursement process including verification of property documents, legal and technical clearances, repayment modes, approvals, and agreement documentation.
- Prepared and submitted daily MIS reports to branch offices, facilitating timely monitoring and decision-making.
- Recommended and implemented innovative strategies to support sales growth and enhance loan portfolio quality.
- Conducted thorough credit checks and document validations to mitigate risks and ensure compliance with underwriting standards.
Education
Bachelor in Commerce - Financial Accounting
University of Hazaribagh
Skills
Evaluation of secured and unsecured loans
Personal Information
Marital Status: Married
Timeline
Credit Manager - National Underwriting
Credila Financial Services Ltd
03.2020 - Current
Area Manager - Operations
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
10.2018 - 02.2020
Sr Manager - Operations
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
03.2014 - 09.2016
Manager - Operations
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
03.2011 - 10.2014
Asst Manager - Credit
Credila Financial Services Pvt Ltd
03.2008 - 03.2011
Senior Executive - Disbursement (Operations)
ICICI Bank Ltd
11.2004 - 02.2008
Back Office Coordinator
Aalay Financial Services
01.2002 - 10.2004
Bachelor in Commerce - Financial Accounting
University of Hazaribagh
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