Communications Director

Responsibilities

The Communications Director serves as the primary strategic counselor and brand protector for regional owner cooperatives, managing the strategic roadmap and regional PR budget. They act as a liaison between local operations and corporate, overseeing crisis support, community engagement, and team leadership.

Requirements

Candidates must have 12–15+ years of experience in PR, public affairs, or marketing communications, with a deep background in QSR or franchise models. The role requires a polished boardroom presence, high emotional intelligence, and a willingness to engage in frequent travel and field activations.

Skills

• Strategic Planning
• Public Relations
• Public Affairs
• Crisis Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Budget Management
• Brand Representation
• Team Leadership
• Client Counseling
• Data Analysis
• Communication
• Relationship Building
• Project Management
• Marketing Communications
• Regulatory Trends
• Event Management

About this role

As a senior regional lead within our McDonald's practice, you are a critical pillar of the "Three-Legged Stool." You serve as the primary strategic counselor and brand protector for the Northwest Owner/Operator Cooperatives.

In this player-coach role, you own the NW account's strategic roadmap and accountability while providing field support to McDonald's Corporate. You lead a dedicated Tactician to ensure local insights and reporting are delivered to clients and corporate partners in real time, enabling data-driven action across the system.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Client Counsel & Accountability

* Serve as the primary agency face to the NW Owner/Operator Boards — own the relationship, lead boardroom presentations, and secure buy-in for regional PR strategies
* Full accountability for the regional PR budget; demonstrate clear value and ROI to Owners, ensuring investment drives local Brand Love and business growth
* Collaborate with agency leads in markets such as DC, Philly, and Chicago to align regional strategies with national goals

2. Corporate System Support: Recon & Liaison

* Act as eyes and ears for McDonald's Corporate Government Relations and Crisis leads; provide local recon (regulatory trends, local activism, stakeholder sentiment) that informs national strategy
* Synthesize and deliver critical field data to both clients and corporate partners — the connective tissue between local reality and corporate planning
* Identify and cultivate relationships with local community leaders and NGOs, managing the brand's license to operate in the NW

3. Crisis & Issues Support (Non-Media Lead)

* Oversee hyper-local media and social monitoring via the Tactician; report local developments to Corporate so they can lead media response
* Ensure local Owners are briefed on Corporate-mandated crisis protocols and synchronized with the national response

4. Brand Representation & Public Presence

* Serve as the visible, polished face of the agency and the brand at client meetings, community events, sports and nonprofit activations, and stakeholder engagements
* Demonstrate consistent, composed presence in unscripted settings — including field events, media opportunities, and board environments — where real-time judgment and credibility are paramount
* Represent client and agency interests with accuracy and clarity, particularly in high-visibility or high-stakes situations

5. Team Leadership

* Direct and develop a regional Tactician responsible for day-to-day execution; accountable for their growth, output quality, and reporting discipline

TRAVEL & FIELD PRESENCE REQUIREMENTS

This role requires consistent in-person presence and is not suited to candidates who prefer primarily desk-based work. Travel and field activity are core to the job, not occasional asks.

Regional Travel

Expect an average of 2–3 business days of travel per month in lighter months, increasing to 5+ business days per month during busier periods (roughly every other month). Travel supports in-person client meetings, stakeholder engagement with local community and government partners, sports and nonprofit partnership obligations, and events and activations.

On-Site Activation Presence

As the regional point person, you are the face and name of the brand in the Northwest. You are expected to be on-site at client activations throughout the year. Activation volume is heavier in the summer months but spans the full calendar year.

This includes:

* Occasional evening and weekend field activity — this is the nature of event and activation work
* Day trips and local field assignments requiring in-person presence on short notice
* Multi-day travel for regional activations, partnership events, and board engagements

Candidates must be comfortable with and prepared for this level of field commitment as a standing expectation of the role.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

* 12–15+ years PR, public affairs, communications, or marketing communications experience — deep background in QSR, franchise models, or CPG/Grocery is essential; you understand the speed of retail. Agency experience highly preferred.
* Boardroom presence — a confident, high-EQ counselor who can navigate a room of 20+ successful, independent business owners
* The Translator — able to take complex corporate policy and turn it into actionable, high-impact intelligence for local business owners
* Chameleon-like social intelligence — reads a room instinctively and adjusts accordingly; equally effective delivering a boardroom strategy briefing, navigating a tense owner conversation, or working a crowd at a community activation; knows when to push, when to listen, and when to defuse
* Strategically grounded — brings a clear point of view and long-horizon thinking; moves beyond tactics to advise clients on what matters and why
* Relentless accountability — takes personal pride in delivering the plan and managing budgets with total transparency
* Field-ready — genuinely comfortable with regular travel, on-site activation work, and evening or weekend field commitments as a standing part of the role

About Davis Elen Advertising

Advertising Services · 51-200 employees · headquartered in Los Angeles, CA