Director - Native Title & Trustee Services

Location: Flexible across Mutual Trust’s Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or Adelaide offices.
 
The Opportunity
This is a newly created senior role within Mutual Trust’s Trustee Services team, providing legal and governance leadership across Native Title trusts and other complex fiduciary appointments.

Reporting to the Partner - Family Succession & Trustee Services, you will act as a trusted legal adviser and technical authority, helping Mutual Trust exercise its trustee powers prudently, discharge its fiduciary obligations and deliver high-quality outcomes for beneficiaries.

Predominantly focused on Native Title trusts, the role will also provide senior oversight across selected matters where Mutual Trust acts as trustee, executor, financial manager or attorney. You will work closely with our Indigenous Trusts team, internal Legal, Risk and Compliance specialists and colleagues across Mutual Trust’s broader family office.

This is more than a conventional legal advisory position. You will contribute directly to complex fiduciary decisions, client relationships, governance, service development and the continued growth of our Trustee Services capability. While the role has no direct reports initially, you will provide technical leadership, guidance and mentoring across the team.

The position has a national remit and will involve regular collaboration with our Perth and Melbourne team.

What You’ll Do

• Provide strategic and technically sound legal advice to Mutual Trust in its capacity as trustee of Native Title trusts
• Advise on the interpretation and application of trust deeds, governing instruments, trustee powers and fiduciary obligations
• Provide governance advice and support to Native Title trusts and related Aboriginal corporations
• Act as a senior relationship lead for selected complex clients, beneficiaries, co-trustees and other key stakeholders
• Oversee complex and discretionary trustee matters, ensuring decisions are properly considered, documented and aligned with beneficiary interests
• Provide senior oversight across selected appointments where Mutual Trust acts as trustee, executor, financial manager or attorney
• Act as a technical authority in trust and estate administration, estate planning, fiduciary decision-making and professional trusteeship
• Coordinate internal and external legal, tax, financial, investment and governance specialists to deliver integrated trustee outcomes
• Contribute to the strategy, sustainable growth and external thought leadership of Trustee Services
• Maintain high standards of risk management, confidentiality, compliance and ethical decision-making, including the appropriate oversight and escalation of incidents and complaints

About You
You are a senior lawyer with experience advising on Native Title trusts and complex fiduciary matters. You bring sound legal judgement, commercial awareness and the confidence to provide clear advice where the issues may be technically complex, sensitive or without an obvious answer.

You are equally comfortable interpreting legal and governing documents, working with senior stakeholders and considering the practical implications of trustee decisions for beneficiaries and communities. You lead through expertise, influence and collaboration and bring the emotional intelligence required to navigate sensitive family, beneficiary and stakeholder dynamics.

You bring:

• A law degree
• 10+ years’ experience as a lawyer
• Substantive experience advising on Native Title trusts
• Strong knowledge of trust law, fiduciary obligations and governance
• The ability to provide pragmatic, technically sound and commercially considered legal advice
• Experience working through complex trustee decisions and exercising sound professional judgement
• Strong analytical, written and verbal communication capabilities
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders, boards, advisers, beneficiaries and community representatives
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate sensitive family and beneficiary dynamics
• The flexibility to travel, on occasion, as required
• Experience within a licensed trustee company, estate and family trust administration or estate planning will be highly regarded

Culture & Benefits
Joining Mutual Trust offers you the opportunity to enjoy:

• Supportive flexible work arrangements.
• Opportunity to purchase up to four weeks’ additional leave each year.
• Inclusive and equitable culture - proudly recognised as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (Workplace Gender Equality Agency).
• Award winning industry leadership - winner of the Euromoney Private Banking Awards 2026 - Australia’s Best for Family Office Services.
• Professional training and development for staff of all levels.
• Yearly health and well-being allowance and ongoing activities.
• Employee assistance program that offers free counselling and support for you and your family.
• Annual performance payment (based on your performance and Firm-wide results).
• Paid community/volunteer days and an award-winning staff giving program.
• Reward and Recognition program.
• Ongoing staff entertainment.

About Us
Mutual Trust is a Multi-Family Office which provides integrated wealth services to some of Australia’s most successful families, family businesses, trustees, not-for-profits and individuals. Our purpose is to help families achieve what matters most.

About Our Team
Mutual Trust has over 250 staff, located across our offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. Our team enjoys a fun and engaging culture. We have diverse roles and opportunities across, wealth management, family office advisory, accounting, tax, agri-business, trustee and philanthropy competencies, supported by a broad corporate team of legal, financial, marketing and P&C professionals.

How to Apply
Submit your application online with the following:

• A cover letter, and
• A detailed resume in Word format.

For more information on this role, call Kate Farmer on 03 9605 9***.

Only applicants with permanent residency or without visa restrictions will be considered.