Context Director

UMT - Internal•New York, NY

6h•$120,000 - $140,000

About The Position

The Context Director is a leadership role on Translation’s Context Planning team, which connects creative work with the audiences it is made for. The team helps brands diffuse ideas through culture by focusing on where, when, and through whom those ideas live. The Context Director translates cultural insight into influence, helps brands find their voice within communities, and builds systems that allow strong ideas to scale. The role calls for creative foresight, cultural nuance, business acumen, cross-functional collaboration, and a deep understanding of current culture. The director leads cultural research and communications planning, develops casting and talent strategies, and adds cultural nuance to creative work. They partner with PR, Media, and Social teams to protect creative integrity and contextual fluency from pitch through publication. As a core member of the business leadership team, the Context Director aligns execution with the broader One Company Vision, mentors direct reports at IC1–IC3 levels, and informally coaches other team members.

Requirements

7–9 years of experience in cultural strategy, brand planning, or creative strategy roles.
Proven experience leading multi-channel campaigns from insight through execution.
Strong writing and storytelling skills, including comfort presenting work to senior leaders and clients.
Proficiency in Keynote, Google Suite, and qualitative research tools.
Deep understanding of subcultures, niche internet communities, and artist ecosystems.
Ability to orchestrate brand storytelling through people, platforms, and moments.
Strong cultural intuition and analytical rigor.
Ability to collaborate across creative, strategy, talent, and media environments.
Passion for ethnography, behavioral analysis, and emerging platforms.
Ability to mentor junior talent and support cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

Background or minor in a creative craft, artistic discipline, or subcultural space.

Responsibilities

Lead and assign cultural research deep dives that inform strategy and creative development.
Own holistic go-to-market communications plans that connect creative ideas and translate business objectives into actionable rollouts over time and across channels.
Lead the development of casting filters to identify talent who embody campaign messages while meeting brand-safety and creative-alignment needs.
Analyze hero creative deliverables, such as film scripts, and provide cultural nuance, insider fan perspective, Easter eggs, and additional audience-engagement tactics.
Facilitate onboarding for new hires so they understand the Context function and its value.
Partner with PR, Media, and Social teams to preserve creative integrity and contextual fluency from pitch to publication.
Serve as a core member of the business leadership team and align day-to-day execution with the One Company Vision.
Mentor direct reports at IC1–IC3 levels and informally coach team members outside the direct reporting line.
Lead multi-channel campaigns from insight through execution.