Context Director

About the Company

UnitedMasters, Inc. is home to Translation, a creative solutions business, and UnitedMasters, a platform and services company that supports independent creators. The organization helps brands tap into modern culture to drive growth, while also enabling creators to own their work, expand their reach, and unlock new paths to financial return. Supported by Alphabet, Andreessen Horowitz, and Apple, the company aims to reshape how brands and artists work together and to strengthen the future of creator ownership.

The company describes itself as an ambitious, entrepreneurial environment rather than a conventional advertising agency. It values ingenuity and persistence alongside originality and intelligence.

Role Overview

UnitedMasters is hiring a Context Director to join Translation in Brooklyn, New York. The position follows a hybrid schedule with four days on-site and one day remote each week. The role focuses on leading integrated communications and cultural strategy for McDonald’s AACM workstreams.

What You Will Do

• Guide integrated communications and cultural strategy across McDonald’s AACM work, turning business goals into channel architecture and campaign systems that work across the full funnel.
• Own annual and campaign-level StratPack outputs such as Fan Truth Tour, Pulse Reports, Competitive Reviews, and Planning Sessions, making sure the findings shape media, creative, and investment choices.
• Shape media strategy inputs with MIAT and Publicis teams, including channel mix, audience strategy, media partner recommendations, custom partnership evaluation, and Investment Briefing recommendations.
• Lead custom partnership strategy and oversight from RFI/RFP creation through execution, with attention to cultural relevance and measurable business outcomes.
• Evaluate creative ideas, casting decisions, and campaign launches through a culturally informed lens grounded in African-American consumer insight.
• Deliver ongoing audience intelligence and market perspective to support always-on brand stewardship and long-term planning.
• Manage senior client relationships while strengthening alignment across agencies and reinforcing Translation’s position as a media-savvy strategic partner.
• Oversee resourcing, workflow discipline, and mentoring for planners supporting the McDonald’s business.

Skills and Expertise Needed

• Advanced experience in integrated communications planning across paid, owned, earned, experiential, and custom partnership channels.
• Strong understanding of audience strategy, channel roles, and reach/frequency tradeoffs.
• Ability to turn cultural research and data into practical, business-focused recommendations.
• Deep knowledge of African-American consumer behavior, subcultures, and media habits.
• Ability to assess media partners and partnerships using audience fit, indexing, and performance indicators.
• Strong presentation skills and confidence in senior stakeholder environments.
• Comfort working in complex, matrixed, multi-agency setups.
• Sound judgment on talent, influencers, and team composition.
• Ability to balance innovation with commercial realism and budget considerations.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of experience in communications planning, connections planning, integrated media strategy, or cultural strategy within an agency or brand setting.
• Proven track record of leading integrated campaigns for large, complex brands.
• Experience building strategies that resonate with multicultural or African-American audiences.
• Preferred: background working with QSR or other large-scale retail brands.
• Preferred: experience in complex Integrated Agency Team environments.
• Preferred: direct exposure to Investment Briefings, RFI/RFP development, and custom partnership negotiations.
• Preferred: experience mentoring and developing mid-to-senior planners.
• Preferred: strong organizational and operational ability in fast-moving workflows.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected annual salary range for this position in New York/California is $119,000 to $140,000. Compensation is determined by factors such as qualifications, experience, skills, and internal equity. The company also notes that its reward package may include benefits such as bonus opportunities, stock options, and a 401(k) match. Pay may vary in other locations based on the company’s location-based compensation approach.

Additional Information

This opportunity is intended for candidates who can work from the Brooklyn office four days per week, with one remote day. The hiring range listed above applies to NY/CA, and the final offer may differ depending on the selected candidate’s background and the location where the role is filled.