Is a creative operations manager the same thing as a Project manager?
1
My contract was unsurprisingly not extended this week after I couldn't keep from calling the CD out when he was blaming a junior for a mistake that was fully his own. "You should have known I mistakenly approved that because it's not up to my standards!" after the client didn't like his concept, spit flying as he was screaming at her. I at least wish it meant I was a good person but I just hate the guy. The job market is good, right? Right??
Today I complete 6 months at my new brand-side role and tbh I'm so so disappointed. I'm extremely free and bored, there's barely any work, and whatever work there is, it's absolutely garbage. I used to work on campaign ideas and scripts at agencies. Here I'm writing emailers and notifications. Is this normal? My brain is thirsty for some good work. Am I being too ungrateful because at least I have a slow-paced-okay-paying-chill job?
No. Project managers focus on getting projects to run smoothly. Creative ops is about managing the department. It involves staffing, utilization, thinking about how to structure the team and what roles are needed to ensure ability to deliver on work that gets sold, etc. Nothing whatsoever to do with managing projects, other than perhaps the initial staffing. It is a job for an operations person, not a PM, but specifically an ops person who understands creatives and creative work. Google designOps, devOps or even literally just creative Ops to learn more about discipline-specific operations roles.
This is a great explanation. PM you’re managing the project deadlines. CRM (creative resource manager or creative ops) you’re making sure the agency has the tools it needs, (aka employees/staffing), to do the work. They both address mostly internal needs. To compare, a Producer executes and guides the work on the outside, (out of pocket costs, exterior vendors etc).
Hell no.