Loans and Grants Disbursement Manager

17 hours ago

Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) · Lilongwe, Malawi

Posted October 7, 2026Listing expires October 23, 2026

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates of Malawian nationality to fill the vacant position of Loans and Grants Disbursement Manager within the Secretariat of the Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB).

THE ORGANISATION

The Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board (HESLGB) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament No. 2 of 2015, with the dual mandate of providing loans and grants to the needy and deserving students in all accredited institutions of higher learning in Malawi and recovering all matured loans from former loan beneficiaries.

The Board is serviced by a Secretariat headed by the Executive Director as the Controlling Officer. A vacancy has arisen for the position Loans and Grants Disbursement Manager in the Directorate of Loans and Grants Disbursements. HESLGB is therefore, looking for suitable candidates to fill this vacant position detailed below:

Job Title: Loans and Grants Disbursement Manager
Grade: HES 4
Reporting Responsibility : Director of Loans and Grants

JOB PURPOSE

To effectively manage and coordinate the disbursement of student loans and grants in accordance with approved policies, procedures and applicable regulatory requirements, while ensuring timely, accurate, secure, efficient and accountable utilisation of HESLGB funds.

The position will provide strategic and operational leadership in loan and grant disbursement, beneficiary verification, financial controls, risk management, reconciliation, reporting and continuous improvement of disbursement processes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful candidate will, among others, be responsible for:

  1. Developing, implementing, reviewing and maintaining a comprehensive loans and grants disbursement strategy, policies, procedures and operational plans.
  2. Planning and coordinating timely and accurate disbursement of loans and grants to eligible beneficiaries in accordance with approved allocation schedules and policies.
  3. Coordinating the verification and validation of beneficiary and institutional information prior to disbursement.
  4. Ensuring effective allocation and management of accounts and appropriate payment channels for student loan and grant disbursements.
  5. Managing the end-to-end disbursement process, including payment processing, exception management, reconciliation and resolution of disbursement-related queries.
  6. Identifying, assessing and managing operational, financial, fraud and compliance risks associated with loan and grant disbursement.
  7. Establishing and strengthening internal controls to minimise duplicate, erroneous, fraudulent or ineligible disbursements.
  8. Monitoring disbursement performance against approved targets, budgets, schedules and service standards and recommending corrective measures where necessary.
  9. Preparing accurate and timely monthly, quarterly and annual disbursement reports, including analysis of performance, exceptions, variances and emerging risks.
  10. Coordinating reconciliation of disbursement transactions with relevant financial institutions and HESLGB financial records and ensuring timely resolution of outstanding reconciling items.
  11. Working closely with the Directorate of Loans Recovery, Finance, ICT, Student Services and other relevant units to ensure integrity and consistency of beneficiary and loan information.
  12. Liaising with higher education institutions, financial institutions and other stakeholders on matters relating to loan and grant disbursement.
  13. Supporting the development and implementation of digital and automated disbursement processes and systems to improve efficiency, transparency, accuracy and beneficiary experience.
  14. Monitoring the performance of service providers and financial institutions involved in the disbursement process and making appropriate recommendations.
  15. Ensuring compliance with HESLGB policies, applicable legislation, financial management requirements, audit recommendations and other relevant regulatory frameworks.
  16. Providing technical advice to the Director of Loans and Grants on disbursement performance, risks, policy issues and opportunities for improvement.
  17. Leading, supervising, mentoring and developing staff within the disbursement function and ensuring effective performance management.
  18. Developing and implementing continuous improvement initiatives aimed at reducing processing times, errors, operational costs and disbursement-related complaints.
  19. Preparing and maintaining appropriate documentation, records and audit trails relating to all disbursement transactions.
  20. Performing any other duties as assigned from time to time.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Academic Qualifications

  1. A Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Actuarial Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Information Systems or a related field obtained from a recognised institution.
  2. A Master’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Banking and Finance, Public Finance, Risk Management or a related field will be an added advantage.
  3. A relevant professional qualification such as ACCA, CIMA, CPA, CFA, Banking, Risk Management, Internal Audit or equivalent recognised professional qualification will be an added advantage.

EXPERIENCE

  1. At least five (5) years’ relevant post-qualification experience, of which at least three (3) years should have been at supervisory or management level.
  2. Demonstrable experience in loan administration, credit management, financial services, banking, student financing, development finance or a comparable lending environment.
  3. Experience in loan disbursement, portfolio administration, payment processing, financial reconciliation, account management and management reporting.
  4. Experience in risk management, internal controls, compliance, fraud prevention and management of financial/operational risks.
  5. Experience working with higher education institutions, student financing schemes, financial aid programmes or public-sector financing programmes will be an added advantage.
  6. Demonstrable experience in the use of loan management systems, ERP/financial management systems, digital payment platforms, databases and data analytics tools.
  7. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial/ operational data analysis will be an added advantage.
  8. Experience in process automation, digital transformation and business process improvement will be an added advantage.

KEY COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

  • Strong financial and analytical skills;
  • Excellent knowledge of loan and credit administration;
  • Strong understanding of financial controls and risk management;
  • High level of accuracy and attention to detail;
  • Strong leadership and people-management skills;
  • Sound judgement and effective decision-making ability;
  • Strong stakeholder-management and communication skills;
  • Ability to analyse and interpret financial and operational data;
  • Strong problem-solving and process-improvement capability;
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet strict disbursement deadlines;
  • High level of integrity, confidentiality and professional ethics; and
  • Ability to work effectively with students, higher education institutions, financial institutions, government agencies and other stakeholders.

METHOD OF APPLICATION

Interested candidates should submit their application letters, copies of certificates, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV), copy of National ID and names of three (3) traceable referees to:

The Acting Executive Director
Higher Education Students’ Loans and Grants Board
P/Bag B417
Capital City
LILONGWE 3

Closing date for receiving applications is Friday 23 October 2026.

Only shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged and invited for interviews.