If leadership feels like heavy lifting, you don’t need another manager, you need a partner.

I work as a Fractional HR & Leadership Partner, designed for SME founders and business owners who need senior-level HR and leadership expertise, without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.

How I Support SMEs

✔️ Guardrails & Cadence (Structure + Rhythm)
Your external Director of People. I set up the systems and leadership rhythm that stop everything falling back on you. Clear roles, decision rights, workflows, and meeting rhythms mean accountability sticks and work actually gets done.

✔️ Leadership Development (Capability + Confidence)
I coach and develop leaders to step up, own decisions, and grow. From running 1:1 leadership coaching to helping your team handle conflict and tough conversations, I equip leaders to build confidence and clarity, so you don’t have to carry it all.

✔️ Culture & Performance (Alignment + Ownership)
I help you create a culture where people thrive and take ownership. Performance systems, values in action, and team alignment become the foundation for trust, motivation, and results.

✔️ Strategic HR (People + Compliance)
From contracts and policies to workforce planning and L&D, I bring senior-level HR expertise to SMEs. You get the peace of mind of compliance and the advantage of having scalable people systems in place.

Why Work With Me?

I bring wisdom of experience 20+ years of HR, OD, and business leadership, across both corporate and SME worlds.

  • ✅Former HR Director at Volkswagen Group

  • ✅Partnered with the CIO at Qantas as HR Manager during major transformation

  • ✅Bachelor of Business (HR & Marketing)

  • ✅Masters in Science Coaching Psychology from the University of Sydney

  • ✅Leadership Expert - Certified in Hogan and HBDI

  • ✅Balance - head, heart and backbone

This mix of capabilities, psychological depth, and extensive experience means I know how to build systems and cultures that actually work in practice, not just on paper. Most importantly, I take the time to get to know your business, your people, and your context so solutions fit, not just sit in a drawer.

The Reality for SMEs

Growth stalls when leaders carry all the weight.
It’s rarely the business strategy that fails — it’s the people side.

Without structure and leadership development:

  • ⚠️Accountability drifts

  • 🔥Leaders end up firefighting

  • 🚫Teams never reach their potential

With the right guardrails, cadence, and leadership capability, businesses unlock growth, leaders get their time back, and people thrive.

My Approach

I don’t just advise. I embed with leadership teams, align on priorities, and make sure decisions and actions flow all the way through the business.

Think of me as your HR Director and Leadership coach in one, available when you need me, without the full-time overhead.

Ready to Lighten the Load?

If your business is scaling, restructuring, or stuck in firefighting mode and you want senior HR and leadership expertise that flexes to your needs, I’d love to connect.

📩 Reach me directly email paula@paulatufa.com.

Let’s make sure your people systems don’t just keep up but drive your growth.