Senior PR Specialist (6-month contract)

kayak · Norwalk Office

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Role at a Glance

A 6-month hybrid contract on KAYAK's North America Communications team. You'll dig into travel search data, craft press materials, and land earned media coverage. Must-haves: 5+ years in consumer or B2B PR, genuine analytical fluency, and established media relationships. Office: Norwalk, CT (3 days/week on-site required). Salary not disclosed by employer.

What This Role Is About

KAYAK's North America Communications team is bringing on an experienced PR professional for a six-month contract. The work lives at the crossroads of data analysis and editorial storytelling — you'll extract meaningful travel trends from KAYAK's own search platform and convert those findings into pitches, press releases, and media strategies that earn placement in top-tier outlets. It's a high-autonomy position: expect to manage campaign threads from raw insight all the way to published coverage, with minimal hand-holding along the way.

About KAYAK

KAYAK is a large-scale travel metasearch engine operating within the Booking Holdings family (NASDAQ: BKNG), processing billions of search queries across flights, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages. It has also expanded into managed corporate travel through KAYAK for Business. The company stewards a suite of global metasearch brands — momondo, Cheapflights, and HotelsCombined among them — giving its communications function unusually rich, cross-market data to work with. KAYAK describes itself as an innovation-led organization where individual contributors have real room to leave a mark.

What You'll Own Day to Day

  • Analyze KAYAK's travel search data to surface timely, journalist-relevant trends and story angles
  • Convert data findings into polished press collateral — pitches, press releases, media briefs, and executive talking points
  • Scout seasonal moments and breaking-news hooks to build proactive media opportunities
  • Cultivate and sustain relationships with journalists across business, consumer, travel, and technology beats
  • Partner with KAYAK's internal data team to co-design research, pressure-test findings, and execute data-led campaigns
  • Identify timely openings and spin up rapid-response, data-backed campaigns that keep the brand relevant in the news cycle
  • Track and evaluate campaign performance through PR analytics tools; convert learnings into future strategy
  • Coordinate with external agencies and work cross-functionally with marketing, analytics, and global comms peers
  • Manage several simultaneous campaigns across their full lifecycle — from initial insight through to earned coverage
  • Contribute to monthly performance reporting by distilling metrics and trend data into clear, actionable team insights

Must-Have Qualifications

  • 5+ years in consumer PR, B2B PR, or a blend of both — equivalent experience and transferable skills are explicitly considered
  • A verifiable track record designing and delivering data-driven earned media campaigns
  • Strong analytical aptitude: able to open a dataset, identify a pattern, and construct a story angle from numbers independently
  • Hands-on proficiency in Excel, Google Sheets, or data dashboards for self-directed trend exploration
  • Excellent written and verbal communication across PR formats — pitches, press releases, media briefs, and executive prep
  • Ability to own campaigns end-to-end with a high degree of independence and minimal oversight
  • Established media relationships and a documented history of securing meaningful, high-quality press coverage

Bonus Points

  • Experience blending social media tactics into both traditional and digital PR campaigns
  • Familiarity with emerging social platforms and how they influence earned media opportunities

Skills Snapshot: Required vs. Nice-to-Have

The non-negotiable core is data fluency paired with editorial instincts — you need to independently stress-test a story angle before it reaches a reporter, not simply relay numbers the data team handed you. Writing precision is equally weighted: this role shifts between dashboard analysis and polished press copy in the same workday. Social media experience is explicitly a plus, not a gate. At senior level, KAYAK expects full campaign ownership from strategy through execution. Given the 6-month contract window, the expectation is that you contribute at pace from week two onward — no extended ramp.

Pay & Contract Terms

KAYAK has not published a compensation rate for this position. Because it is a fixed-term contract rather than a permanent hire, candidates should clarify on the first recruiter call whether the rate is structured hourly, daily, or as a flat project fee — and whether the engagement is W-2 (through a staffing agency) or 1099 independent contractor, as this directly affects tax exposure and benefit eligibility. The listed perks appear aligned with standard Booking Holdings employee programs; confirm which, if any, extend to 6-month contractors before accepting an offer.

Perks & Benefits

  • Generous paid vacation plus a dedicated day off on your birthday
  • Mandatory company-wide recharge week once per year — no catch-up pile waiting when you return
  • Access to thousands of on-demand e-learning courses
  • Travel discounts across KAYAK's platform and partner network
  • Employee Resource Groups for community and inclusion
  • Free office lunch twice per week
  • Monthly team social events and recurring Thursday happy hours

Location & Work Model

This role is anchored to KAYAK's Norwalk, CT office on a hybrid schedule — three days per week on-site is explicitly required. While the listing flags some remote eligibility, in-person presence is a firm condition, not optional. Candidates should confirm commutability to Norwalk before applying. The posting makes no mention of relocation assistance or visa sponsorship.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a remote position or is in-office attendance required?

The role is hybrid. KAYAK explicitly requires three days per week in their Norwalk, CT office. While the listing signals some remote eligibility, on-site attendance is a stated condition of the role — treat commutability to Norwalk as a hard prerequisite before applying.

How long is the contract, and is it W-2 or 1099?

This is a 6-month fixed-term contract. The listing does not specify whether it is structured as a W-2 placement through a staffing agency or a 1099 independent contractor arrangement. Clarify this on your first recruiter call, as it affects your tax situation and which benefits, if any, you can access.

What is the salary or hourly rate for this role?

KAYAK has not disclosed a compensation figure in the job posting. Request the rate directly during the recruiter screening call. The posting contains no salary range or contract rate — any figure from a third-party estimator would be speculative.

Do the listed perks apply to contract workers?

The listed benefits — PTO, birthday day off, company recharge week, travel discounts, free lunches, and social events — appear to be standard Booking Holdings employee programs. Whether 6-month contractors are eligible for any or all of these is not stated in the posting. Confirm directly with the recruiter before factoring them into your decision.

Is the 5-year experience requirement firm, or are alternative backgrounds considered?

KAYAK explicitly states that equivalent experience, alternative training pathways, and transferable skills are all considered alongside the 5+ year benchmark. If your background is non-traditional but your earned media and data analysis track record is strong, the listing signals you should still apply.

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