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How to hire a great freelance Share Schemes Specialist

A Share Schemes Specialist is an equity compensation expert who designs, implements, and manages employee share plans such as EMI, CSOP, SAYE, SIP, growth shares, and unapproved option schemes. Hiring a freelance share schemes specialist gives growing companies access to deep technical knowledge across tax legislation, valuation, legal drafting, and HMRC compliance without the cost of a full-time hire.

What a share schemes specialist delivers

Share schemes are one of the most powerful tools a company has to attract talent, retain key staff, and align employee incentives with shareholder value. A specialist translates commercial intent into a compliant, tax-efficient structure that works for founders, employees, and investors alike.

Typical deliverables from a freelance share schemes consultant include scheme design recommendations, board and shareholder resolutions, option agreements, plan rules, employee communications, HMRC valuation submissions, annual ERS returns, and exit-event support. The work usually combines legal drafting, tax analysis, and accounting treatment in a single engagement.

Common share plans and structures

The right scheme depends on company size, jurisdiction, growth stage, and the goals of the equity grant. A qualified share schemes specialist will assess eligibility and recommend the most efficient route, whether that is a tax-advantaged plan or a bespoke structure.

Enterprise Management Incentives (EMI) options for qualifying UK SMEs

Company Share Option Plans (CSOP) for companies that exceed EMI limits

Save As You Earn (SAYE) and Share Incentive Plans (SIP) for all-employee participation

Unapproved share options and phantom share plans

Growth shares, hurdle shares, and flowering shares

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and Restricted Stock Awards (RSAs) for international or US-linked structures

Long Term Incentive Plans (LTIPs) and deferred bonus plans for senior executives

Tasks and services handled

Share schemes work spans the full lifecycle from design through exit. A freelance equity compensation specialist will typically handle:

Scheme design, eligibility analysis, and tax modelling

HMRC valuation reports and agreement of share value for EMI and CSOP purposes

Drafting plan rules, option agreements, joint NIC elections, and section 431 elections

Board minutes, shareholder resolutions, and articles amendments

Capital table updates and integration with cap table tools such as Capdesk, Carta, Vestd, or Ledgy

HMRC notifications, ERS annual returns, and EMI grant notifications

Employee communications, FAQ documents, and tax explanation packs

Due diligence support during fundraising and M&A, including good leaver and bad leaver provisions

Cashless exercise mechanics, exchange of options, and rollover at exit

Tools, frameworks, and reference material

Specialists typically work across cap table platforms, document automation, and tax research tools. Common platforms and references include Capdesk, Carta, Vestd, Ledgy, and Global Shares for plan administration, alongside HMRC ERS Online for filings. Drafting work draws on the Companies Act 2006, ITEPA 2003, and current HMRC manuals covering employment-related securities.

Industries and use cases

Share schemes specialists serve a broad client base, with particularly strong demand from:

Venture-backed technology and SaaS startups granting EMI options to early hires

Scale-ups preparing for Series B onwards and considering CSOP or growth shares

Professional services firms structuring partner and key-person incentives

Life sciences and biotech companies with long-vesting executive plans

Family-owned businesses planning succession through employee ownership

Companies preparing for IPO, trade sale, or secondary transactions

International groups managing cross-border equity awards and mobile employees

How to evaluate share schemes candidates

Equity compensation work is high-stakes. A drafting error or missed HMRC deadline can void tax advantages and create unexpected liabilities for employees. Look for the following signals when shortlisting:

A qualified background in tax, law, or accounting (CTA, ATT, ACA, ACCA, or solicitor qualification)

Demonstrable experience drafting EMI option agreements and securing HMRC valuations

Familiarity with cap table software and ERS Online filings

Examples of work across multiple plan types, not just EMI

Experience supporting equity events during fundraising or exit

Clear written communication, since employee documents need to be understandable

Sample interview questions you can use directly:

Can you walk me through how you would design an EMI scheme for a Series A SaaS company with 20 employees and an option pool of 10 percent?

How do you approach an HMRC valuation submission, and what evidence do you typically include?

What are the most common drafting mistakes you see in option agreements, and how do you avoid them?

How would you structure equity for a hire based outside the UK in a company with a UK parent?

What happens to unexercised EMI options on a share sale, and how should the plan rules handle good and bad leavers?

Why hire share schemes specialists on Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com gives you direct access to a global pool of equity compensation consultants, tax advisers, and corporate lawyers who run independent practices. You can post a project on Freelancer.com and receive bids from specialists who match your jurisdiction, scheme type, and budget within hours. Profiles show ratings, verified credentials, completed project history, and portfolio examples, making it straightforward to compare candidates side by side. Clients on Freelancer.com set their own budgets and receive competitive bids, with Milestone Payments holding funds securely until each phase of work is approved.

If you are ready to implement, refresh, or exit a share plan, Post a project on Freelancer.com today and connect with skilled share schemes specialists ready to deliver.

What are the steps to hiring a freelance share schemes specialist?

Hiring a share schemes specialist on Freelancer.com is a straightforward three-step process. The clearer your brief on company stage, jurisdiction, and the type of plan you have in mind, the more relevant your bids will be. Use the steps below to move from project post to award with confidence.

Step 1: Post your project on Freelancer.com

The project post is the single biggest determinant of bid quality. A clear, specific brief filters for candidates whose tax and legal experience genuinely match your scheme type, jurisdiction, and stage. Head to the post project page , where you fill in the brief, scope, timeline, and budget before publishing the project for freelancers to bid on.

Company details: jurisdiction of incorporation, size, sector, and funding stage

Scheme type you are considering, such as EMI, CSOP, growth shares, or unapproved options

Number of participants and whether the plan is all-employee or selective

Deliverables required: scheme design memo, plan rules, option agreements, HMRC valuation, ERS filings

Any constraints such as US-connected employees, existing cap table platform, or upcoming fundraising or exit

Timeline, including board meeting dates or grant target dates, plus budget range

Step 2: Review bids from freelancers

Bids on a share schemes project are short proposals that reveal how the freelancer interprets your brief and what approach they would take. Read each one carefully, since a strong proposal will reference the specific plan type, the relevant tax provisions, and a realistic sequence of work. Use chat to ask clarifying questions before shortlisting.

Clarity on scheme recommendation and reasoning, not just a price quote

References to relevant legislation such as Schedule 5 ITEPA for EMI

Realistic timeline that accounts for HMRC valuation turnaround

Mention of cap table tools and document automation if relevant to your setup

Sample documents or anonymised case examples attached to the bid

Sensible clarifying questions about cap table, articles, and shareholder approvals

Step 3: Evaluate freelancers and award the project

Your final decision should combine proposal quality with profile evidence. Look across multiple completed projects rather than a single highlight, since equity work requires consistent attention to detail. Pay particular attention to written reviews from clients with similar company profiles to yours.

Portfolio depth across multiple plan types and company stages

Star ratings and the volume of completed equity or tax projects

Written client reviews mentioning drafting quality, HMRC outcomes, and responsiveness

Verified payment method, qualifications, and identity

Completion rate and on-time delivery rate

Award the project and use Freelancer.com's Milestone Payments to release funds as each deliverable, from scheme design through to HMRC filings, is approved

How long does a typical share scheme project take?

A standard EMI scheme implementation usually takes two to four weeks from instruction to grant, including HMRC valuation agreement. More complex projects such as growth share structures, international plans, or exit-event support can run longer depending on legal drafting and tax modelling requirements.

Do I need a share schemes specialist or a general corporate lawyer?

General corporate lawyers can draft option agreements, but share schemes specialists bring focused expertise in tax legislation, HMRC practice, valuations, and accounting treatment that generalists often lack. For tax-advantaged plans like EMI or CSOP, the technical detail matters and a specialist will usually deliver a more efficient outcome.

Can a freelance share schemes specialist handle HMRC filings on my behalf?

Yes. Specialists routinely handle EMI notifications within the statutory deadline, prepare and submit ERS annual returns, and agree valuations with HMRC's Shares and Assets Valuation team. Many will offer ongoing annual compliance as a separate engagement after initial implementation.

What is the difference between EMI options and growth shares?

EMI options give employees the right to buy shares at a future date, with significant income tax and capital gains advantages for qualifying UK companies. Growth shares are actual shares issued today with a hurdle, so employees only share in value created above that hurdle, and they are typically used when EMI is not available or for senior executives.

Can I hire a share schemes freelancer for a one-off project?

Absolutely. Many engagements are project-based, such as setting up a new EMI plan, refreshing plan rules, supporting an exit, or running an annual ERS return. You can scope the work tightly in your project brief and award a fixed milestone for each deliverable.