Freelance Consultant – EU Pay Transparency & Reward Governance

Upwork; Lisboa; Remote; EUR 83,000 - 165,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Freelance contract

3–6 month engagement

Job summary

Upwork is seeking an experienced Freelance Consultant to lead EU Pay Transparency and Reward Governance initiatives from Portugal. You will assess current practices, design a practical pay transparency framework, and align remuneration policies with the EU directive and local law.

The role requires collaboration with HR, Legal, and Compliance teams and delivers actionable policies and documentation. The engagement focuses on governance, job architecture, gender pay gap analysis, and transparent

Qualifications

• Proven experience implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive or similar pay equity initiatives.
• Strong background in Compensation & Benefits and remuneration governance.
• Experience designing job architecture, evaluation methodologies, and salary structures.
• Experience conducting gender pay gap analysis and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Assess existing compensation and reward practices against EU requirements and national legislation.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive pay transparency framework aligned with organizational needs.
• Review remuneration policies, salary structures, and pay governance processes.
• Design or refine job architecture, evaluation methodologies, and job grading frameworks.
• Conduct gender pay gap analysis, identify concerns, and establish ongoing monitoring and reporting.
• Develop transparent salary progression frameworks and guidelines for remuneration decisions.
• Review recruitment to ensure pay transparency compliance and prepare employee-facing documentation.
• Establish governance procedures and documentation for pay-related information requests and disclosures.
• Conduct a gap assessment and draft an implementation roadmap with milestones and actions.
• Collaborate with HR, Compensation & Benefits, Legal to translate requirements into processes.
• Provide independent expert advice and hands-on delivery throughout implementation.

Skills

Pay transparency

Remuneration governance

Job architecture

Gender pay gap

Stakeholder management

English

Portuguese

Job description

An enterprise client is seeking an experienced Freelance Consultant in EU Pay Transparency and Reward Governance to support the implementation of pay transparency requirements across its organization. Based in Portugal, the consultant will help establish a structured, compliant, and practical approach to remuneration governance, job architecture, pay equity, and employee-facing transparency.

The consultant will work closely with HR and other relevant stakeholders to assess current practices, identify gaps, and develop the policies, methodologies, and processes needed to support compliance with the EU Pay Transparency Directive and applicable national legislation, particularly in Portugal.

Job Description

• Assess existing compensation and reward practices against EU Pay Transparency Directive requirements and applicable national legislation.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive pay transparency framework aligned with organizational needs and regulatory requirements.
• Review and develop remuneration policies, salary structures, and pay governance processes.
• Design or refine job architecture, job evaluation methodologies, and job classification frameworks to support consistent and objective pay decisions.
• Conduct gender pay gap analysis, identify potential areas of concern, and establish a framework for ongoing monitoring and reporting.
• Develop transparent salary progression frameworks and guidelines for determining remuneration, including objective and gender-neutral pay criteria.
• Review recruitment and hiring practices to ensure compliance with pay transparency requirements, and prepare employee-facing documentation explaining remuneration policies, pay structures, and employee rights related to pay transparency.
• Establish governance procedures, responsibilities, and documentation requirements to support consistent implementation, including processes for handling employee requests for pay-related information and disclosure obligations.
• Conduct a gap assessment of current policies and practices, identify compliance risks, and develop a clear implementation roadmap with priorities, milestones, and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with HR, Compensation & Benefits, Legal, and other stakeholders to translate regulatory requirements into workable business processes.
• Provide independent expert advice and hands-on support throughout implementation, ensuring deliverables are practical, well documented, and ready for use.

Qualifications

• Proven experience implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive or delivering comparable pay transparency, equal pay, or pay equity initiatives.
• Strong background in Compensation & Benefits, reward strategy, remuneration governance, or HR transformation.
• Hands-on experience designing or reviewing job architecture, job evaluation methodologies, job grading, and salary structures.
• Demonstrated experience conducting gender pay gap analysis, interpreting results, and developing reporting frameworks and remediation recommendations.
• Strong understanding of EU employment and pay transparency requirements, with knowledge of Portuguese legislation and its implications for employers.
• Experience developing remuneration policies, salary progression frameworks, recruitment guidelines, and employee-facing pay transparency documentation.
• Ability to conduct compliance gap assessments, identify risks, and translate findings into a structured implementation roadmap.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to turn complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Fluent in both English and Portuguese, with the ability to prepare professional documentation and communicate effectively in both languages.
• Experience with multinational organizations, established job evaluation methodologies (Mercer, WTW, Korn Ferry/Hay, Radford), HRIS platforms, or compensation analytics tools is preferred.
• Based in Portugal and available to commit more than 30 hours per week for an estimated 3-6 month engagement; able to work independently with minimal supervision.