PR & Communications Strategist (Short-term Contract)

48 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005, United States

Engagement Type: Independent Contractor (1099)
Fixed Fee Range: $3,200–$3,600 (final compensation based on experience, skills, and agreed scope/deliverables)
Projected Timeline: September 2026 (approximately 4 weeks)
Estimated Hours: ~40 total (~10 hours per week), must be available during EST business hours

About The Role

We are seeking a senior PR/Comms Copywriter for a focused, one-month engagement to build the strategic foundation for a third-party citation pilot on a major consumer health platform. The goal is to produce research, a point of view, and a strategic proposal that de-risks client approval for a citation pilot. This is a highly regulated pharma account, so recommendations must be credible and defensible to the client’s Comms team.

Success looks like a tight, well-evidenced proposal delivered in four weeks, with actionable options and honest tradeoffs. You are not writing placements or building the roadmap yet—this month is solely about producing the proposal that enables that conversation.

Responsibilities

• Competitive & Citation Audit: Conduct a competitor placement and citation audit—identify where competitors are cited, by whom, and through what content. Run teardowns of top examples to determine reproducibility and identify whitespace/opportunity areas.
• Audience & Credibility Mapping: Map which placements carry credibility for each priority persona (trade, consumer health, clinical, caregiver, adjacent media). Assess publications/platforms for domain authority and citation likelihood, flagging sources most likely to be surfaced by AI platforms.
• Options Development & Strategic Proposal: Propose content, placement, and activation options (digital PR, trade press, bylines, data assets). Pressure-test against feasibility, regulatory constraints, and Comms objections. Write the full strategic proposal—findings, POV, recommended options, rationale, and open questions—built to drive stakeholder alignment.
• Collaboration & Alignment: Work directly with the Executive Producer, Comms strategy lead, and Account Director. Write with regulatory reality in mind (anticipate MLR review) and participate in working sessions/revision cycles.

Deliverables

• Competitor placement and citation audit, with teardowns of top-performing examples.
• Audience-to-placement credibility map across priority personas and condition areas.
• Prioritized set of content, placement, and activation options with rationale and tradeoffs.
• Strategic proposal with opportunity findings (primary deliverable, client-ready for stakeholder alignment).

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in PR, corporate communications, editorial, or brand narrative writing (agency, in-house, or newsroom).
• Must be available and responsive during core Eastern Time business hours (9:00 AM–6:00 PM ET) for collaboration and revision cycles.
• Proven ability to turn research and competitive analysis into a defensible strategic recommendation.
• Direct experience in healthcare, pharma, or another regulated category; familiarity with MLR or equivalent review processes strongly preferred.
• Track record placing or drafting contributed content, bylines, trade press, or digital PR in credible publications.
• Working familiarity with SEO, GEO, or how AI platforms source/cite content is a plus.
• Comfortable operating with speed and independence in a compressed four-week window.
• Clear, concise communication skills—able to present/defend recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• LLC a plus; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Portfolio or writing samples required (strategic proposal, messaging framework, or placed contributed piece).

Schedule

Start: September 2026 (estimated end September 2026, ~4 weeks).
Extension: This is a discrete one-month scope. A potential second phase (messaging architecture/pilot roadmap) may follow in October, subject to client alignment and separate contracting.

Benefits

Payment: Fixed fee, paid monthly on a net-30 schedule.
Workplace: Consultants may be required to work onsite at a client location or from a Sia office/coworking space (3+ days/week between engagements). Candidates should reside within commuting distance of a Sia office (NYC, Charlotte, Seattle, SF Bay Area, LA, Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, or Washington D.C.).