A Day in the Life of a Director of Operations at Carbon Sequestration Company
Emilie's role as Director of Operations at a carbon sequestration company involves a dynamic mix of meetings—both internal with their team and cross-functional with other departments and external partners—alongside dedicated quiet work time for tasks such as contract review, strategy development, and creating standard operating procedures; this variety, a feature Emilie "really love[s]," reflects the unique demands of working at a smaller company.
Project Management, Communication, Teamwork, Executive/Leadership, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Emilie Wood
Director of Operations
Carbon Sequestration Company
UC Santa Barbara
n/a
Environmental & Related Sciences
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Varied daily tasks: Emilie's role includes a mix of meetings (with her team, other departments, and external partners), and focused work on contracts, strategy, and documentation. This variety keeps her engaged.
2. Importance of cross-functional collaboration: Emilie emphasizes the need for collaboration with other teams to ensure alignment and progress toward shared goals.
3. Balance of meetings and independent work: Emilie structures her day to include both collaborative meetings and dedicated quiet time for focused work on tasks like contract review or creating standard operating procedures. This highlights the importance of time management and prioritization.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a director of operations look like?
The days can be really varied, which is something I really love about the role, especially working at a small company. Each day is a bit different, but generally includes a mix of meetings.
I have recurring meetings with my team or with the people who report to me directly. These one-on-one meetings happen on a certain cadence to ensure we're all on the same page. I also have cross-functional meetings with leaders of other teams. This is to make sure we're all headed in the same direction.
Sometimes I have meetings with external people, such as partners, vendors, or those we work with on contracts. I also try to block off some time each day for quiet working time. This is for tasks like working on contracts, strategy, or creating documents and standard operating procedures.
It kind of depends on how that looks. If I'm in the office, I meet with people in person. If I'm traveling for work, those meetings are also in person. When I'm working from home, we meet virtually. This can also lead to more good, quiet working time without interruptions.