Senior Digital Content & Social Lead (Contractor)

Contractor, Senior Digital Content & Social Lead

Remote (U.S.-based) | Part-time | $100-$125 hourly rate

November 2026 - February 2027, with possibility of extension

WHO WE ARE

At Courier Newsroom, we empower individuals and communities through local reporting that helps people understand and affect the issues impacting their lives. We believe that by investing in the work of local journalists across the country we can positively impact civic participation and build a healthier democracy from the ground up. Through original reporting and human-focused storytelling, we highlight the issues and forces that shape our lives while calling attention to the impacts of policy-making and political action at the local level. We are a rapidly growing team with new ideas on how to change the landscape of this world.

This independent consulting engagement will support Keep Her Wild, a brand focused on wild horse preservation, humane treatment of equines and animals, public lands stewardship, and women's empowerment.

COURIER Newsroom is committed to working with a diverse community of collaborators that values diverse perspectives and lived experiences. We strongly encourage women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ consultants and freelancers, and those from all backgrounds to apply. We strive to break down barriers and ensure every collaborator feels seen, heard, and supported.

SCOPE OF WORK

We are seeking a versatile, highly autonomous independent Digital Content + Social Consultant to deliver the end-to-end execution of the digital presence for Keep Her Wild. This engagement combines short-form video production, graphic design, social media publishing, and editorial copywriting.

Consultant will operate independently as both a creative strategist and a full-stack executor, conceptualizing ideas and directly producing the final published assets. The engagement covers visual storytelling, short-form video (Reels/TikToks), high-performing social graphics, brand-aligned copywriting, and channel publishing strategy. Consultant will determine the methods, tools, schedule, and location used to perform the services.

DELIVERABLES

Short-Form Video & Multimedia Production

• Reel & TikTok Creation: Conceptualize, edit, and optimize engaging short-form video assets using tools of Consultant’s choosing (ie: CapCut, Canva, Premiere Pro)
• Video Pacing & Audio Design: Craft strong 1-second visual hooks, write text-on-screen overlay hierarchy, and select/mix trending audio or voiceovers designed for cold-audience algorithm discovery.
• Archival & Curated Media: Source, curate, and edit archival video footage, historical imagery, and stock or rights free media into cohesive narrative reels.

Graphic Design & Brand Systems Execution

• Social & Digital Graphics: Design multi-slide carousels, static graphics, digital action guides, story templates, and promotional assets using tools of Consultant’s choosing (ie: Figma, or Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator/ Photoshop).
• Visual Consistency: Apply the brand’s visual identity system across all deliverables, ensuring consistent typography, color application, and grid layouts.

Social Publishing & Channel Strategy

• Daily Publishing & Strategy: Deliver the social content calendar and daily publishing across Instagram, TikTok, and emerging channels.
• Analytics & Performance Tracking: Monitor platform metrics (reach, profile-to-follow conversions, saves, shares, and link clicks) and deliver monthly performance reports with recommendation to refine content hooks, post formats, and distribution strategies.

Copywriting & Editorial Voice

• Social Copy & Hooks: Draft punchy, high-converting social captions, short-form video text overlays, and call-to-action messaging.
• Brand Voice Application: Translate complex environmental policy, public lands issues, and equine welfare narratives into warm, direct, conversational, and "un-stuffy" prose.

ENGAGEMENT TERMS

• Engagement Structure: Services will be performed under a consulting agreement and statement of work, compensated on a monthly basis upon receipt of Consultant’s invoice. Consultant will not receive a salary, wages, or employee benefits.
• Independence: Consultant sets their own working hours and location and supplies their own equipment, software, and workspace.
• Non-Exclusivity: Consultant is free to provide services to other clients during the engagement.
• Taxes & Insurance: Consultant is responsible for their own taxes, insurance, and business expenses.

CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

• Senior Hybrid Skillset (7+ Years Experience): Demonstrated track record spanning short-form video production, graphic design, social publishing, and editorial copywriting for a mission-driven brand, media outlet, or agency.
• Full-Stack Execution & Independence: Proven ability to work autonomously by managing a project from initial concept and scripting to final video editing, graphic layout, and social posting without relying on a support team.
• Video Editing & Content Software Mastery: Hands-on fluency with short-form video tools (CapCut, Canva Video, Premiere Pro) and visual design software (Figma, Canva, Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop).
• Platform Native Expertise: Deep understanding of Instagram and TikTok algorithms, trending formats, interactive features, and content performance levers.
• Copywriting Versatility: Superior short-form copywriting skills capable of switching effortlessly between quick-hook social captions and informative policy explainers.
• Alignment with Core Mission: Deep resonance with wild horse preservation, humane treatment of equines and animals, public lands stewardship, and women's empowerment.

Rate: $100-$125 hourly rate (approx 20-25 hours per week)

Timeline: November - February with option to extend.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Please submit a resume, a short cover letter (no more than one page), and a link to your creative portfolio or case studies showing examples of narrative video direction, visual brand assets, social media accounts, collaborative campaigns, or community initiatives.