PR & Communications Strategist (Short-term Contract)

Location: Remote or New York, NY (as needed)
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 hours total (~10 hours per week, EST hours)

About The Role

We are seeking a senior PR/Comms Copywriter for a focused, full-time, 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 enables the client’s Comms team to assess opportunities and de-risk approval for future activation. This is a highly regulated pharma account, so recommendations must be credible and defensible to a scrutinizing Comms team. Success means delivering a tight, well-evidenced proposal within four weeks, with actionable options and honest tradeoffs.

Responsibilities

• Competitive & Citation Audit: Conduct a competitor placement and citation audit—identify where competitors are cited, by whom, and through what content. Analyze top-performing examples to determine what earned citations and what is reproducible. Identify whitespace and credible opportunities for the brand.
• Audience & Credibility Mapping: Map which placements carry credibility for each priority persona (trade, consumer health, clinical, caregiver, and adjacent media). Assess publications/platforms for domain authority and citation likelihood, flagging sources most likely to be surfaced by AI platforms in relevant condition areas.
• Options Development & Strategic Proposal: Propose content, placement, and activation options (digital PR, trade press, bylines, data assets, etc.). Pressure-test each option for feasibility, regulatory constraints, and likely Comms objections. Write the full strategic proposal—findings, point of view, recommended options, rationale, and open questions—designed to drive collaborative stakeholder alignment.
• Collaboration & Alignment: Work directly with the Executive Producer, Comms strategy lead, and Account Director. Write with regulatory reality in mind, anticipating Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) review. Participate in working sessions and revision cycles as inputs evolve.

Deliverables

• Competitor placement and citation audit, including 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. This is a deadline-driven engagement requiring dedicated daytime availability.
• Proven ability to translate research and competitive analysis into defensible strategic recommendations.
• 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 and cite content is a plus.
• Comfortable operating with speed and independence in a compressed four-week timeline.
• Clear, concise communication skills—able to present and defend recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Portfolio or writing samples required (strategic proposals, messaging frameworks, or placed contributed pieces preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; LLC a plus.

Additional Information

• Workplace: While this engagement is remote, Sia values in-person collaboration. Consultants may be required to work onsite at client locations as needed. Between engagements, consultants are expected to work from a Sia office or approved coworking location at least three days per week. Candidates should reside within commuting distance of a Sia office or approved coworking location (e.g., NYC, Charlotte, Seattle, SF Bay Area, LA, Houston, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, or Washington, D.C.).
• Work Authorization: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application and throughout employment. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Potential Phase Two (Not Included in This Scope)

If the client elects to proceed beyond the strategic proposal, a follow-on engagement in October may cover:

• Building condition-level message pillars for priority audience segments.
• Structuring narrative and messaging governance to reinforce a unified story.
• Identifying high-authority media and publisher targets for outreach.
• Aligning on resource requirements and integrated team plans for execution.

This phase would be scoped and contracted separately.