Senior Service Designer

Job Title: Senior Service Designer

Contract Duration: 6 months (Initial)

Day Rate: Negotiable depending on experience (Inside IR35)

Location: Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield or Birmingham - Onsite 3 days a week

Security Clearance: BPSS Required

Interview Process: One-stage Microsoft Teams interview

Role Overview:

• We are seeking an experienced Senior Service Designer to support a major digital transformation programme within Central Government.
• The successful candidate will lead the design and improvement of complex, user-centred digital services, ensuring solutions meet user needs, organisational objectives and government Service Standards.
• Working within multidisciplinary Agile teams, you will take ownership of end-to-end service design activities, identifying opportunities to simplify complex services, improve user experiences and deliver measurable outcomes for citizens and internal stakeholders.
• This role requires a strategic thinker with strong hands-on service design expertise, excellent stakeholder management skills and a proven background in delivering user-centred services within complex environments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and continuous improvement of end-to-end digital services across multiple channels, systems and touchpoints.
• Plan and deliver service design activities, including service mapping, user journey mapping, service blueprinting and systems thinking.
• Facilitate collaborative workshops with senior stakeholders, multidisciplinary teams and operational colleagues.
• Work closely with Product Managers, User Researchers, Business Analysts, Interaction Designers, Content Designers and technical teams to shape service outcomes.
• Translate user research, business objectives, policy requirements and operational constraints into practical, user-centred service solutions.
• Identify service pain points, dependencies, risks and opportunities for improvement across complex digital service ecosystems.
• Use qualitative and quantitative research, data and evidence to inform design decisions and strategic recommendations.
• Support services throughout Discovery, Alpha, Beta and Live delivery phases, ensuring alignment with the Government Service Standard.
• Produce high-quality service design artefacts, documentation and recommendations to support delivery and senior stakeholder decision-making.
• Champion user-centred design principles, coaching and influencing teams to embed effective service design practices.
• Support strategic planning and prioritisation, adapting design approaches to changing requirements and programme objectives.

Essential Skills & Experience:

Service Design Leadership:

• Demonstrable experience leading service design activities across large-scale digital transformation programmes.
• Strong experience designing and improving complex end-to-end services spanning multiple teams, systems and channels.
• Advanced knowledge of service mapping, service blueprinting, journey mapping and systems thinking.
• Ability to analyse complex service landscapes and identify strategic opportunities for improvement.

User-Centred Design:

• Strong understanding of user-centred design principles, methodologies and best practices.
• Proven ability to translate user research findings into actionable service improvements.
• Experience balancing user needs with organisational objectives, policy requirements and operational constraints.
• Ability to develop evidence-based design recommendations that deliver measurable outcomes.

Stakeholder Engagement & Facilitation:

• Extensive experience planning and facilitating workshops with senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence strategic decisions, build consensus and manage competing priorities.
• Experience presenting complex service design concepts and recommendations to senior decision-makers.

Agile & Digital Delivery:

• Experience working within Agile, multidisciplinary digital delivery environments.
• Strong understanding of modern digital delivery practices and service design methodologies.
• Experience supporting digital services through Discovery, Alpha, Beta and Live phases.
• Ability to prioritise effectively, manage competing demands and adapt to evolving programme requirements.

Desirable Experience:

• Previous experience delivering digital services within UK Central Government, the wider public sector or highly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of the Government Service Standard and Government Service Manual.
• Experience supporting services through Government Digital Service (GDS) assessments.
• Experience working across complex organisational structures involving policy, operational and digital delivery teams.
• Experience coaching or mentoring colleagues in user-centred design and service design best practices.

If you are available and interested in this opportunity, please apply for further information. Please note that due to high volumes of applications we are unable to contact every applicant. If you do not hear back from us within 7 days of sending your application, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.

At Lucid, we celebrate difference and value diverse perspectives, underpinned by our values 'Honesty, Integrity and Pragmatism'. We are proud to provide equal opportunities in line with our Diversity and Inclusion policy and welcome applications from all suitably qualified or experienced people, regardless of personal characteristics. If you have a disability or health condition and seek support throughout the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to contact us via the details below.