Wills & Estates Specialist

• Specialist role managing complex and contested matters across our national estates portfolio
• Help ensure gifts left in Wills are administered accurately, respectfully and in line with supporters' wishes
• Permanent part-time position (3 days/week) with hybrid work flexibility, based in Sydney CBD, NSW

The Smith Family is a national children’s education charity that works with children and young people to overcome educational inequality caused by poverty – so they can thrive now and into their futures.

Gifts in Wills play an important role in enabling our work and we are seeking an experienced Wills & Estates Specialist to join the team to provide expertise across our estate administration portfolio.

About the role

In this newly created, part-time role, you will report to the National Manager, Gifts in Wills and take responsibility for managing complex, high-value and contested estate matters.

Working across a national portfolio, you will review and interpret Wills, documentation, accounts and legal correspondence to ascertain The Smith Family’s entitlement and ensure gifts left by our supporters are administered accurately, efficiently and in accordance with their wishes.

You will work closely with solicitors, executors, trustees and other estate stakeholders, alongside our internal Legal, Finance and Gifts in Wills teams. You will identify legal, financial and reputational risks, provide recommendations on complex matters and support settlement negotiations and escalation where required.

You don’t need to be a practising lawyer to fulfil your role (legal advice can be provided by others, where needed). What is important is strong experience within the Wills, estates and related legal environment, the ability to identify and work through complexity, and sound judgement about when specialist legal advice is required.

Key accountabilities:

• Manage complex, high-value and contested deceased estate matters from notification through to final distribution
• Review Wills, probate documents, estate accounts, distribution statements, legal correspondence and settlement proposals
• Identify legal, financial, compliance and reputational risks and determine when matters require escalation or legal advice
• Work with solicitors, executors, trustees, barristers, mediators and co-beneficiary charities to progress and resolve estate matters
• Prepare clear briefings and recommendations on complex estate matters, including claims, settlements, risks and financial implications
• Support settlement negotiations relating to contested estates and family provision matters
• Contribute to income forecasting by providing accurate advice on expected distributions, timing, risks and potential delays
• Work with Finance to reconcile estate income, process non-cash assets and support reporting and audit requirements
• Maintain accurate estate records, documentation and evidence trails across relevant systems
• Support improvements to estate administration processes, controls, procedures and internal capability

About you

You are an experienced estates professional who has developed strong technical knowledge through working with deceased estates, whether within a legal practice, trustee organisation, estate administration environment or similar setting.

You may have prior experience as a lawyer, paralegal or estate administration professional, what matters most is your depth of experience working through complex estate matters and your ability to interpret documentation, identify issues and determine when specialist legal advice is needed.

You are confident managing relationships with solicitors and other professional stakeholders and can keep complex matters progressing, sometimes over extended periods and involving multiple parties.

Just as importantly, you bring empathy, discretion and strong communication skills. You understand the sensitivity involved in administering deceased estates and can navigate challenging conversations while respecting supporters’ wishes and appropriately protecting the organisation’s interests.

Skills and experience:

• Substantial experience administering deceased estates, ideally gained within a legal practice, trustee company, charity, executor services, fundraising or Gifts in Wills environment
• Demonstrated ability to review Wills, probate documents, estate accounts, gift clauses and legal correspondence
• Experience managing complex estate matters, including issues resolution and communication with solicitors, executors and other stakeholders
• Strong understanding of legal and compliance risks associated with estate administration and the ability to identify matters requiring escalation
• Excellent written communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to explain complex matters clearly
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and experience maintaining accurate records across matters that may run for extended periods
• Experience with charitable bequests or Gifts in Wills and the not-for-profit sector would be highly regarded
• Relevant tertiary qualification in law, legal studies, paralegal studies, estate administration, business, fundraising, philanthropy or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated experience in estate administration

Our benefits

At The Smith Family, employees are at the heart of what we do. Joining our team means you can:

• Find balance with flexible work options and the ability to purchase additional annual leave
• Maximise your take-home pay through salary packaging and access to retail discounts
• Fulfil your potential with a suite of career development and learning opportunities
• Feel you belong with inclusive leave options including cultural, parental and gender affirmation leave
• Thrive with access to wellbeing support including EAP and discounted gym membership through Fitness Passport

If you are an experienced estates professional looking to apply your expertise in a role where your work can contribute to lasting social impact, please click apply, we’d love to hear from you. 

You may view the position description here.

Closing date: 11 October 2026

Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate must be prepared to undertake a National Police Check and a Working with Children’s Check. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to principles of cultural diversity. Applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent are encouraged.