Context Director

About the role

We are an award-winning independent creative solutions company that helps ambitious brands harness the power of culture to solve their biggest challenges. This role is based in Brooklyn, New York with four days in-office and one day remote.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated communications and cultural strategy across all McDonald’s AACM workstreams, translating business objectives into full-funnel channel architecture and campaign systems
• Own annual and campaign-level StratPack deliverables (Fan Truth Tour, Pulse Reports, Competitive Reviews, Planning Sessions), ensuring outputs directly inform media, creative, and investment decisions
• Direct media strategy inputs in partnership with MIAT and Publicis teams, shaping channel mix, audience strategy, well-rationalized media partner recommendations, custom partnership evaluation, and Investment Briefing recommendations
• Lead Custom Partnerships strategy and oversight, from RFI/RFP development through execution, ensuring cultural credibility and measurable business impact
• Pressure-test creative concepts, talent casting, and campaign rollouts through a culturally fluent lens rooted in African-American consumer insight
• Provide ongoing audience intelligence and marketplace POV to inform Always-On brand stewardship and long-term planning
• Maintain senior-level client relationships, influencing cross-agency alignment and strengthening Translation’s credibility as a media-fluent strategic partner
• Oversee Context resourcing, workflow rigor, and mentorship of planners supporting the McDonald’s business
• Advanced integrated communications planning across paid, owned, earned, experiential, and custom partnerships
• Strong command of audience strategy, channel role definition, and reach/frequency implications
• Ability to translate cultural research and data into clear, commercially grounded recommendations
• Deep fluency in African-American consumer dynamics, subcultures, and media behaviors
• Expertise evaluating media partners and partnerships using audience fit, indexing, and performance signals
• Executive-level presentation and stakeholder management skills
• Operational discipline within complex, matrixed, multi-agency systems
• Strong casting judgment across talent, influencers, and internal team configurations
• Ability to balance innovation with business practicality and investment realities
• 7+ years of experience in communications planning, connections planning, integrated media strategy, or cultural strategy within an agency or brand environment
• Demonstrated experience leading integrated campaigns for large, complex brands
• Proven experience developing strategies that engage multicultural or African American audiences
• Experience working on QSR and/or large-scale retail brands
• Experience within complex Integrated Agency Team (IAT) ecosystems
• Direct involvement in Investment Briefings, RFI/RFP development, and custom partnership negotiations
• Experience mentoring, coaching, and developing mid-to-senior planners
• Deep organizational and operational skills adapted to high-paced workflows

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in communications planning, connections planning, integrated media strategy, or cultural strategy within an agency or brand environment
• Demonstrated experience leading integrated campaigns for large, complex brands
• Proven experience developing strategies that engage multicultural or African American audiences
• Experience working on QSR and/or large-scale retail brands
• Experience within complex Integrated Agency Team (IAT) ecosystems
• Direct involvement in Investment Briefings, RFI/RFP development, and custom partnership negotiations
• Experience mentoring, coaching, and developing mid-to-senior planners
• Deep organizational and operational skills adapted to high-paced workflows

Skills

• Advanced integrated communications planning across paid, owned, earned, experiential, and custom partnerships
• Strong command of audience strategy, channel role definition, and reach/frequency implications
• Ability to translate cultural research and data into clear, commercially grounded recommendations
• Deep fluency in African-American consumer dynamics, subcultures, and media behaviors
• Expertise evaluating media partners and partnerships using audience fit, indexing, and performance signals
• Executive-level presentation and stakeholder management skills
• Operational discipline within complex, matrixed, multi-agency systems
• Strong casting judgment across talent, influencers, and internal team configurations
• Ability to balance innovation with business practicality and investment realities

Benefits

The salary range above is for the NY/CA. As a company, we have a location based strategy, which means the salary range could be lower or higher than this if the role is hired in another location.

Pay

$119,000 - $140,000

Schedule

Four days in-office and one day remote