A day in the life of an INT Works producer

We’ve been exploring the design roles behind the scenes – project managers, account handlers and producers – in a series with recruitment specialists Represent. We’ve learned a lot (see it all over here), and in this feature we unveil what really goes on for a project manager at creative agency INT Works in a typical day.

Name: Sara Williams
Job Title: Lead Producer
Length of Employment in Current Role: Almost two years

Sara studied Graphic Design at Chelsea College of Art, and during that time she was given the opportunity to produce a print for a company called Pedlars, a family run business based in Wales and London. She continued to work with them and also started producing her own prints, which evolved into a larger range of homewares and stationery. “During this time, I had the opportunity to do so many things that I’d never done before – from having to manage budgets to learning about ceramics and textile printing, even managing the logistics of rolling and assembling thousands of Christmas crackers!” she says. “It was a real eye opener – suddenly I found myself enjoying the number crunching, managing a team and setting the targets.”

She was soon offered a creative role at an agency that specialised in retail strategy. After two years, she joined INT Works as a project manager, and is now lead producer on the the team. Below, she talks us through a typical day in her role.

“My main role day to day is problem solving and quality control. When things get busy, I can find myself working across more than ten projects at a time, each exploring completely different areas and outcomes. This means that I have to jump from task to task, making sure that I keep everything going, while also knowing exactly what needs to be prioritised. It can certainly be quite challenging and there are always several factors to consider at one time, but ultimately I focus on gathering all the required information that we need to know in order to make decisions and progress towards the finish line.

There are two things that I like to get done before 9am. Firstly, I skim my emails to see what’s come in, this gives me a quick overview of what I need to address as well as making sure that I’m aware of any urgent requests. I then open my most valued document – my to-do list. This is where I keep track of all tasks across all projects. It’s segmented into categories and it helps me navigate through the week. I would be lost without it. And so by the time I get to 9am, I like to have a clear picture in my head of what I need to get done that day and time to catch up with my team if they need to discuss anything.

I use my calendar to plan my day: if it’s not in the calendar it doesn’t happen! It also gives me a realistic idea of how much free time I have to get things done – I tend to think that the working day is much longer than it really is and so it helps me gauge the reality of what’s possible in the day. My to-do list is the dumping ground for all tasks that come my way. It helps me sleep at night as I know everything is on there and so there’s less chance on me forgetting to do it. This document enables me to break each project down into tasks and allows me to navigate clearly from one to the other whilst keeping the stress levels down!

My days vary quite a lot. There’s no particular structure, as each project requires a different approach. However, typically my week consists of working collaboratively with different teams on each project, refining the ideas and the production methods. Due to the nature of our work I also tend to work with several collaborators and suppliers at the same time, and so I’m usually in regular conversations with several different teams. I also spend quite a bit of time out of the office, either on site, with clients or visiting collaborators and suppliers. If we’re working abroad, I usually have to travel to the location to assess progress or help manage the final delivery and set-up.
 
With the nature of my role, I’m constantly exposed to so many different things, whether it’s seeing samples of materials that I didn’t know existed, learning about processes that I’ve never seen before or meeting people who are incredibly talented within a particular field. Aside from that, I enjoy working alongside our clients to understand their needs and working collaboratively with them to find a way to make things better, or deliver something different. For me, there’s no such thing as ‘us’ and ‘them’, we’re all one team, driving towards one goal, and when we get there, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the results of the hard work that’s gone into making it happen.

The time I finish varies depending on what’s going on. Like anybody within this industry, I occasionally work long hours. I don’t do this because I have to but more because I’m passionate about what we do. However big or small the project is, I want it to be as good as it can be. There are busier times than others and unfortunately you can’t always plan when projects come in. If I’m completely honest, I prefer when things are busy – I enjoy the excitement of having to deliver and find the pressure rather stimulating. Asides from work I like to get down to the Lido as much as possible so that I can swim. Even when things are hectic at work, I like to make sure I still get into the pool and switch off while I concentrate on my lengths! I find that exercise is one of the best stress fighters. Asides from that the evenings are my down time: unless I have plans, I like to unwind and relax so that I’m ready to go again in the morning!”

About the project: Project managers, account handlers and producers are the unsung heroes of the creative industries, working away behind the scenes making projects happen all the way from pre-pitch to post-delivery. These masters of organisation, diplomacy and juggling are getting their chance in the sun through a series of articles looking at what they do, how they do it and why these roles are inherently vital and creative.