Monosus Job Encyclopedia
Web Operations Director Yamada

Monosus has members who do a variety of jobs, including web design, frying donuts, and growing mushrooms.

The number of locations and staff has increased, and although we exchange words when we meet, to be honest I still don't really know what kind of work they do specifically.

This interview introduces what kind of work is available at Monosus.

In the first episode, Motoki from headquarters interviewed Yamada, who is the web operations director.

That said, it was Yamada who edited this article after the interview.
As I was moving forward with this project, I was unfamiliar with interviews, so I pondered how best to conduct the first one. I felt nervous about suddenly asking members I didn't have much to do, but on the other hand, asking members who do similar work might lead to questions that were too in-depth. In fact, some of them might not even know Yamada that well. After thinking about this, I decided to start by asking about my own work. That said, I wasn't really sure how to do it, so I wanted someone who was as easy to talk to as possible. I asked Motoki to be the interviewer, as he seemed good at asking questions and I thought it would be easy to imagine what his daily life was like.
Of course, I know them as members of the company, but I don't really know what kind of work they do. This interview made me realize that the same can be said about Yamada and Motoki, even though I talk to them often.

What is an Operations Director's Job?

Motoki: Today, I would like to ask you about your work as the operations director of Monosus' web department. What exactly do you do?

Yamada: The web operations I'm in charge of include updating daily news on client websites, creating pages to launch new services, and replacing seasonal products. When a client wants to make changes to their website, I help them make that happen smoothly.

Motoki: I see. What exactly is the role of an operations director?

Yamada: I guess my role is to connect clients with the Monosus team. My role is to update the clients' websites on a daily basis, so I check their requests, confirm schedules, and share them with the designers and coders. I think my job is to ensure the work proceeds smoothly by sharing necessary information and nuances.

Motoki: Is that different from a typical director?

Yamada: There are many different types of director, but the easiest to compare is a director of new web production. The goal of a new production project is to receive an order, produce it, and deliver it. There are many more responsibilities in detail, but it starts with organizing the information, drawing the blueprints, and working with designers and coders to create and prepare for release. The job is to work as a team to create something that is safe to release, and then release it.

Motoki: The operations director is something else.

Yamada: In operations, the changes and scope are small, but there are a lot of requests, and we have to respond to a variety of requests. It's not uncommon for a request to come in today and be published within a week.

Motoki: New projects are voluminous, so we spend six months to a year directing them and creating them across the entire site. On the other hand, operations require daily updates, so there are one-off projects, such as just one page, partial revisions involving multiple pages, and so on, so there are always a lot of different things going on at the same time.

Yamada: Each project is very small. But there are a lot of them every day, and rather than working on a specific project, they are all progressing simultaneously, and I feel like I'm taking on new requests while releasing them today and tomorrow.

Motoki: I understand.

At the speed of a Yamanote Line driver

Motoki: I'd also like to ask about your work style. It seems like there's a lot you can do from home, but you often come to the office.

Yamada: We get phone calls from clients, so the biggest reason is to respond to those. What's more, the clients with the highest ratio have a short time between receiving a request and delivery, so we have to act quickly. I want to ensure smooth communication with Kojima-san, who I work with on direction. That's why I come to the office, and that includes checking how busy we both are.

Motoki: So that means that when you communicate online from home, it's not as fast as you'd expect.

Yamada: Most of the time, it's fine to work from home, but sometimes I want to talk in the gaps between meetings. Sometimes I'm in a pinch and can't make it in time.

Motoki: So, as operations director, Yamada, part of your job is to communicate quickly with Kojima, who you work with.

Yamada: That's right. I think it's important to be able to communicate smoothly with a variety of people, not just Kojima-san.

Motoki: Yamada-san at Monosus thinks about how to improve clients' websites, and coordinates schedules and finances with his team members. He often comes into the office to ensure things go more smoothly. When necessary, he also handles design, coding, and site maintenance and management.

Yamada: It's like a Yamanote Line driver, always correct and reliable.

Motoki: On time. That's the kind of speed I work with every day.

Monosus has a lot of options

Motoki: You're not just involved in work with customers, but also in a lot of internal matters at Monosus.

Yamada: I think it would be the secretariat that runs the Monosas website, the renewal of the site, and meetings (internal working groups).

Motoki: The office is responsible for updating and managing the site daily, and uploading articles. So is that work similar to your main job?

Yamada: For me, it feels like I use my brain in a different way. If anything, I think I'm doing the customer-side work that I normally do as an operations director. The office is responsible for updating information, but I think it's more of a role where you're constantly thinking about how to improve the company's website. For example, for the MVP article, I want it to be an article that's not just for internal use, but also for people outside the company, so I come up with the opening text and take photos. I guess it's a job to open up Monosas to the outside world.

Motoki: You have a lot of time to think.

Yamada: When we were renovating, the question of how we could make it work was constantly on my mind. Even during meetings, I was always thinking about how we could make it easier for the company members to work.

Motoki: I see. So internal projects require more brainpower and creative work.

Yamada: It also requires emotional involvement. But because it involves direct contact with the people in front of you, you get to hear their reactions, both good and bad, directly, which I really enjoy and find fun.

Motoki: You're doing a lot of different things.

Yamada: Even if you join this company as an operations director, there aren't many people who devote 100% to that job, are there? Some people have the title of designer but also do direction, and even director Kojima-san makes beer. I also work on internal projects, and it seems like I'm working hard for the sports day in November.

Motoki: That's the ultimate. Were you working hard for the sports day?

Yamada: That's true. I think there are a lot of options when it comes to Monosus. If you have the determination to keep searching for it yourself, I think there are plenty of ways to enjoy it.

Motoki: That's cool, it's like a great quote. I'm looking forward to seeing what choices Maki will make in the future.