Senior HR Advisor (6-Month Contract) | Family Office

Design and embed a complete people and performance framework for a highly successful Melbourne single family office, integrating with AI-enablement. Six months, circa 3 days per week, $1,000–$1,200 + GST per day (negotiable). The opportunityAdeptive Advisory is working with a highly successful, established Melbourne single family office (inner-north location) to source an experienced Senior HR Advisor for a fixed six-month contract. The organisation employs a small, senior professional team and has recently completed an independent remuneration review endorsing a strengthened remuneration and governance framework. It now needs its people infrastructure built to the same standard.This is a genuine build-and-handover mandate. You will design, document and embed the frameworks, advising the CEO and coaching the team as required throughout, then hand over so the organisation can self-administer them. The workPosition descriptions for all roles (approximately 11), building on profiles from the remuneration review.KPI frameworks for all roles and capability-based scorecards for executive roles, aligned to the approved remuneration framework; support to the CEO on incentive framework matters.An annual performance appraisal framework with templates and manager toolkits, and coaching for leaders in running it.Hands-on coaching, performance management and counselling support, conducted in person.Professional development plans for all staff, aligned to succession objectives.Organisational design assessment and recommendations.A reviewed and updated HR policy suite, proportionate to a small organisation.Benefits and flexible working recommendations suited to a senior professional environment. A distinctive opportunity: AI-enabled HRThis engagement offers something few HR roles currently do: the chance to build a complete, AI-enabled people function from the ground up. The frameworks and policies you create will become a living knowledge base that guides the organisation's people practices well beyond the engagement. You will work alongside (and learn from) specialist AI support to structure, load and test the content, gaining hands-on exposure to AI knowledge-base design as it is applied to HR. For a senior practitioner interested in where the profession is heading, it is a rare opportunity to add genuine AI-enablement experience to strong generalist credentials.
About you10+ years' generalist and advisory HR experience at senior advisor, HR manager or consultant level.Proven experience designing position descriptions, KPI frameworks and appraisal systems from the ground up.Hands-on performance management, counselling and coaching experience with senior professionals, with sound judgement on procedural fairness and risk.Experience in small, senior, professional environments (family office, private wealth, investment management, professional services or similar) where discretion is paramount.Strong documentation discipline – the ability to turn frameworks and methods into clear, structured, reusable form.The ability to operate independently as the sole HR resource, working directly with a CEO and executive team.Comfort with a genuinely time-limited mandate. The termsSix-month fixed-term contract (or independent contractor arrangement), approximately 3 days per week, predominantly on-site in inner-north Melbourne (minimum 2 of 3 days on-site). $1,000–$1,200 + GST per day, negotiable based on demonstrated experience. Commencement as soon as practicable following selection.
How to applySubmit your CV with a brief written response (maximum 2 pages) addressing (a) the essential requirements, drawing on your direct experience with similar mandates, and (b) how you would approach codifying HR frameworks and methods into structured, reusable documentation and processes.
Applications are managed by Adeptive Advisory on behalf of the organisation. AI-assisted processing forms part of application screening; every screening decision is reviewed and made by a person, and candidate materials are not retained in AI platforms beyond the conclusion of the process. Applications close: Friday 18 September 2026Apply/enquiries to: Jason Renshaw - jason.renshaw@adeptive-advisory.com