CX & Service Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: CX & Service Design Manager

Company: Contact Energy

Location: Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Customer Experience / Service Design (GTM Operations adjacent)

Date Posted: 2026-05-14

Experience Level: Senior (10+ years implied)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction for service design across Contact Energy's Retail customer journeys, ensuring a cohesive and customer-centric experience from front-to-back.

• Drive the design of future-state customer journeys, integrating insights from system replacements and new platform developments to deliver seamless end-to-end experiences.

• Champion customer experience (CX) best practices, influencing decision-making across a complex stakeholder landscape by leveraging data and qualitative insights.

• Foster strong partnerships with frontline operations, Retail teams, and Technology departments to create a unified approach to journey design and execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not a traditional Revenue or Sales Operations role, this CX & Service Design Manager position is highly relevant to GTM operations by focusing on the customer journey's impact on acquisition, retention, and overall customer lifetime value. The role requires a strong understanding of operational realities and process design, making it a strategic function that directly influences Go-To-Market effectiveness.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end service design and customer experience strategy for Contact Energy's Retail division, ensuring seamless integration between customer-facing interactions and supporting back-office processes.

• Shape and deliver future-state customer journey designs, particularly critical during major retail system replacements and the development of new retail platforms, ensuring a holistic rather than siloed approach.

• Establish and maintain the overarching service design vision, significantly influencing the design and execution of new services and customer journeys within the Retail environment.

• Build strong credibility and achieve alignment with a diverse group of senior stakeholders, utilizing data and customer insights to navigate differing opinions and drive consensus.

• Collaborate closely with frontline operations teams, Retail business units, and the Technology department to establish a unified service design methodology and shared understanding of customer journeys.

• Provide clear strategic direction on priorities and necessary trade-offs, effectively balancing customer needs, operational feasibility, and delivery timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic vision and tactical execution, common in senior operations roles. The emphasis on "connecting front-of-house experiences with the back-of-house processes" and "balancing customer needs, operational realities and delivery considerations" directly aligns with core GTM and operational efficiency objectives.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Design, Business, Marketing, or a related discipline is typically expected for senior roles of this nature. Advanced degrees or certifications in Service Design, CX, or Business Process Management would be advantageous.

Experience: Extensive experience leading service design initiatives in high-volume service environments is crucial. Candidates should demonstrate a proven track record of shaping and delivering complex customer journeys.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience leading service design within high-volume service environments (e.g., telecommunications, banking, insurance, or similar industries).

• Demonstrated end-to-end customer journey capability, with a practical understanding of how customer journeys integrate systems, processes, and human interaction.

• Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and alignment across senior leadership, even in environments with strongly held differing opinions.

• A data-informed decision-making approach, effectively balancing quantitative insights, qualitative feedback, and professional judgment.

• A highly collaborative mindset, adept at building consensus and influencing outcomes without relying solely on formal authority.

• Strategic thinking and planning capabilities to define future-state service visions.

• Proficiency in customer journey mapping and service blueprinting methodologies.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with major system replacement projects and the design of new digital platforms.

• Familiarity with agile methodologies and their application in service design.

• Knowledge of user research techniques and customer insight generation.

• Experience in change management and driving adoption of new service models.

• Understanding of Contact Energy's specific industry (energy and telecommunications) and its customer base.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills point to a candidate who can not only design but also operationalize customer experiences. The emphasis on influencing stakeholders and balancing competing priorities is a hallmark of effective operations leadership.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstration of end-to-end customer journey design projects, showcasing the entire lifecycle from research and ideation to implementation and iteration.

• Case studies illustrating how complex service designs were translated into practical, operational processes that improved customer experience and business outcomes.

• Examples of service blueprints or detailed journey maps that clearly articulate the connection between customer-facing touchpoints and internal operational systems and processes.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of developing and documenting comprehensive service design frameworks and methodologies for an organization.

• Documentation showcasing how service design principles were integrated into system replacement or platform design initiatives, detailing the process of translating user needs into functional requirements.

• Demonstration of how to measure the impact of service design interventions on key operational metrics (e.g., customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, cost reduction, conversion rates).

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on service design and CX, a portfolio is critical. It should showcase not just the visual design but the strategic thinking, process integration, and measurable impact on both customer experience and operational efficiency. This is akin to an operations professional's need to demonstrate process improvements and system implementations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the senior nature of the role (implied 10+ years experience), its strategic impact, and the location in Wellington, New Zealand, a competitive salary range would be estimated between NZD $130,000 - $180,000 per annum. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior CX/Service Design leadership roles in New Zealand, considering the company's size and industry.

Benefits:

• Free Health Insurance cover for employees.

• Boosted KiwiSaver contributions to support retirement savings.

• Access to Contact Shares, likely an employee share ownership plan.

• A 'Good to be Home' annual payment for home setup and general wellbeing.

• A market-leading parental leave policy.

• Twice-yearly payments towards Contact products for customers.

• Flexible working arrangements, supporting a hybrid work model.

• Superb learning and development opportunities.

Working Hours: Full-time, with an implied standard of 40 hours per week. The role supports flexible working arrangements, allowing for a hybrid model, which can offer autonomy in structuring work time around core collaboration and operational needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for similar senior roles in New Zealand and the stated benefits. The "Good to be Home" payment and product discounts are unique perks that add significant value. The flexible working arrangement is a key benefit for maintaining work-life balance, which is increasingly important for operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Energy and Telecommunications. Contact Energy is a significant player in New Zealand's energy sector, involved in power generation, retail of electricity, gas, broadband, and mobile services. This context means the company operates in a regulated, competitive, and technologically evolving market, requiring a strong focus on customer retention and operational efficiency.

Company Size: Contact Energy is a large organization, likely employing several thousand people across New Zealand, indicated by its status as a major utility provider. This size suggests a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for significant impact and cross-functional collaboration.

Founded: Contact Energy was established in 1995. Its history as a major energy company implies a robust operational backbone and a long-term commitment to serving the New Zealand market.

Team Structure:

• The CX & Service Design Manager operates within the Retail business unit, a key segment of Contact Energy. The team is likely composed of specialists in customer experience, service design, and potentially journey analytics.

• The reporting structure places this role under senior Retail leadership, with direct collaboration required across Operations, Technology, Marketing, and Product Development teams.

Methodology:

• Data analysis and insights are central, used to understand customer needs and inform design decisions. This involves leveraging customer feedback, operational data, and market research.

• Workflow planning and optimization are critical, as the role focuses on designing and improving end-to-end customer journeys, which inherently involves mapping and refining operational processes.

• Automation and efficiency practices are implicitly important, as designing better journeys often involves identifying opportunities for streamlined processes and technology enablement.

Company Website: https://www.contact.co.nz/

📝 Enhancement Note: Contact Energy's dual role in energy and telecommunications highlights the complexity of its customer interactions and the critical need for seamless service design. The company's commitment to "Te Tākinatanga - Our Story" and "Tikanga" suggests a culture that values both innovation and indigenous Māori values, which can influence communication and collaboration styles.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior leadership position within the Customer Experience and Service Design domain, functioning in a capacity that directly interfaces with and influences operational execution. It's a strategic role focused on shaping the future of customer interaction and operational process design within a large enterprise.

Reporting Structure: The CX & Service Design Manager reports into senior leadership within the Retail business unit. This position requires significant collaboration with peers in Operations, Technology, and Product Management, indicating a matrixed influence across various departments.

Operations Impact: This role has a profound impact on the company's Go-To-Market strategy by directly shaping customer acquisition, onboarding, retention, and advocacy. By optimizing customer journeys and ensuring operational alignment, it drives customer satisfaction, reduces churn, and enhances brand reputation, all of which are critical drivers of revenue and profitability.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into broader CX leadership roles, Head of Customer Experience, or even General Management positions within Retail or related business units, with a clear path for increasing strategic responsibility.

• Specialization & Expertise: Deepen expertise in specific areas of service design, digital transformation, or operational process optimization, becoming a recognized subject matter expert within the company or industry.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunity to lead major transformation initiatives that span multiple departments, developing broader business acumen and strategic influence across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned to offer significant career growth, particularly for individuals looking to bridge the gap between customer-facing strategy and operational implementation. The ability to influence cross-functional teams and lead major projects provides a strong foundation for future leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment. The role is best suited to someone who can work flexibly from a main hub in either Wellington or Auckland. This indicates a modern office setup designed to support both individual focused work and team collaboration.

Office Location(s): The primary hubs for this role are Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand. Proximity to one of these main hubs is important for enabling in-person collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed to foster collaboration, with opportunities for in-person interaction with frontline operations, Retail teams, and Technology partners.

• Access to necessary operational tools and technology to support service design, journey mapping, and data analysis is expected.

• The environment encourages interaction and idea-sharing, vital for a role that requires bridging different departmental perspectives and driving consensus.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with a commitment to flexibility. This allows for a blend of structured workdays and the ability to adapt schedules to accommodate project needs, team collaboration, and personal well-being, while ensuring operational coverage and responsiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and emphasis on main hubs suggest a company that values both flexibility and the benefits of in-person collaboration for strategic roles. This setup is common for senior positions requiring significant stakeholder engagement.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of applications and resumes, with a strong emphasis on candidates who demonstrate a clear understanding of end-to-end service design and its connection to operational realities.

• First Interview: Likely with a hiring manager or HR representative to assess cultural fit, foundational experience, and alignment with the role's core responsibilities. This stage may involve discussing high-level career achievements and motivations.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: Candidates will likely be asked to present a portfolio showcasing previous service design and CX projects. This will include a deep dive into specific case studies demonstrating problem-solving, strategic thinking, process design, stakeholder management, and measurable outcomes. The focus will be on how they connected customer needs with operational feasibility.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders from Operations, Technology, and Retail teams to assess collaborative capabilities, ability to influence, and understanding of their respective domains.

• Final Interview: With senior leadership to discuss strategic vision, leadership potential, and overall fit within Contact Energy's broader organizational goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the challenge, your approach, the solutions designed (showcasing journey maps, blueprints), the operational considerations, stakeholder engagement, and the measurable impact (e.g., improved CSAT, reduced call volume, increased conversion).

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Visually showcase your work. Include examples of service blueprints, customer journey maps, user research insights, and process flow diagrams.

• Highlight Operational Integration: Emphasize how your designs considered and integrated with existing or proposed operational systems and processes. Demonstrate an understanding of the "back-of-house" implications.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your initiatives. Focus on KPIs relevant to both customer experience and operational efficiency.

• Tailor to Contact Energy: Research Contact Energy's current challenges and strategic goals. Frame your portfolio examples to show how your skills can directly address their needs in the energy and telecommunications sectors.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a specific customer journey challenge at Contact Energy, considering their industry, customer base, and operational context.

• Anticipate questions about balancing customer needs with operational constraints and driving change in a large organization.

• Practice articulating complex service design concepts and their business value concisely and persuasively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process strongly suggests a focus on practical application and demonstrable results. A well-curated portfolio that highlights operational integration and measurable impact will be paramount for success, mirroring the expectations for operations roles that require a demonstrable track record of process improvement and system implementation.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Service Design & Journey Mapping Tools: Proficiency with tools such as Miro, Mural, Lucidchart, or specialized CX platforms (e.g., Smaply, Custellence) for creating journey maps, service blueprints, and process flows.

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: Familiarity with how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) informs customer journey design and how service design can optimize CRM processes.

• Project Management Software: Experience with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design initiatives and cross-functional projects.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics to understand online customer behaviour and journey drop-off points.

• BI & Data Visualization Tools: Experience with platforms such as Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik to analyze customer data, operational metrics, and present insights to stakeholders.

• Customer Feedback Platforms: Knowledge of tools for collecting and analyzing customer feedback (e.g., surveys, NPS tools like Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

CRM & Automation:

• Process Automation Concepts: Understanding of how automation can streamline customer journeys and internal processes, even if not directly implementing automation tools.

• Integration Concepts: Awareness of how different systems (e.g., CRM, ERP, billing systems, customer service platforms) connect and impact the customer experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not a technical operations role, the CX & Service Design Manager must understand the technology landscape that underpins customer journeys. This includes knowing how data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform design, and how different systems integrate to create a seamless experience. Familiarity with collaboration and visualization tools is key for process mapping.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and prioritizing customer needs in all design and operational decisions, aligning with Contact Energy's belief that "home is the most important place."

• Collaboration & Partnership: Strong emphasis on working effectively across diverse teams (Retail, Operations, Technology) to achieve shared goals, fostering a sense of collective ownership for the customer experience.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing insights from data and customer feedback to inform strategy, shape design choices, and measure impact, ensuring a rational and evidence-based approach.

• Continuous Improvement & Innovation: A drive to constantly refine processes, explore new approaches, and adapt to evolving customer expectations and technological advancements to "leave Aotearoa better than we found it."

• Integrity & Care: Upholding ethical standards and demonstrating genuine care for customers and colleagues, reflecting Contact Energy's guiding principles of "mahi" and "tikanga."

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively seeks to integrate service design thinking into the workflows of Operations, Technology, and Retail teams, ensuring that customer experience is a shared responsibility.

• Process Review & Feedback: Fosters a culture of open feedback and iterative design, where processes are regularly reviewed and improved based on insights from both customers and internal stakeholders.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encourages the sharing of best practices, customer insights, and design methodologies across teams to build collective capability and ensure consistency in customer experience delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values, particularly "Te Tākinatanga" (sense of belonging) and "Tikanga" (Māori customs/values), suggest a culture that is inclusive, respectful, and community-oriented. This translates into a collaborative style that values diverse perspectives and aims for holistic solutions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complex Stakeholder Landscapes: Building consensus and driving adoption of service design principles among diverse stakeholders with potentially conflicting priorities or deeply held opinions. This requires strong communication, negotiation, and influence skills.

• Bridging Front-to-Back Operations: Effectively connecting customer-facing experiences with the often complex and siloed back-office processes and systems that support them, ensuring a truly end-to-end seamless journey.

• Driving Change in Large Organizations: Implementing new service design methodologies and fostering a customer-centric culture within a large, established organization like Contact Energy, which may have deeply ingrained processes.

• Balancing Innovation with Operational Reality: Designing aspirational customer journeys while ensuring they are feasible, cost-effective, and sustainable within the current operational constraints and technological capabilities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced CX & Service Design Training: Opportunities for formal training, certifications, or workshops in cutting-edge CX and service design methodologies, user research, and customer journey analytics.

• Industry Conferences & Networking: Participation in relevant industry events (e.g., CXPA, design thinking conferences) to stay abreast of the latest trends and network with peers.

• Leadership Development Programs: Access to Contact Energy's internal leadership development programs, focusing on strategic thinking, change management, and executive presence.

• Cross-Functional Project Leadership: Taking lead roles in major transformation projects that offer exposure to different business functions and strategic decision-making processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a resilient, strategic, and highly collaborative individual. The growth opportunities are robust, offering a clear path for professional development and advancement within the customer experience and broader business leadership domains.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you successfully influenced senior stakeholders to adopt a new customer journey design despite strong opposition. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on stakeholder management, data utilization, and negotiation skills).

• "How would you approach designing an end-to-end journey for a customer experiencing a service outage with Contact Energy, considering both digital and human touchpoints, and the operational constraints of our network and support teams?" (Focus on problem-solving, process mapping, and balancing customer needs with operational realities).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Contact Energy's mission and values, how would you ensure our service design efforts align with 'Te Tākinatanga' and 'Tikanga'?" (Focus on cultural alignment and research).

• "How do you foster a collaborative service design culture within a large organization, particularly when working with teams like frontline operations or technology who may have different priorities?" (Focus on collaboration style and cross-functional leadership).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a concise overview of Contact Energy's business and potential CX opportunities. Then, present 2-3 key portfolio pieces, ensuring each clearly articulates the problem, your unique contribution, the design process (including operational considerations), and the quantifiable results.

• Connect to the Role: Explicitly draw parallels between your past successes and the requirements of this CX & Service Design Manager role at Contact Energy. Highlight how your experience in similar industries or with similar challenges makes you a strong candidate.

• Demonstrate Operational Acumen: During your presentation, consistently show your understanding of how customer journeys are supported by internal processes and systems. Use service blueprints effectively to illustrate this connection.

• Engage and Converse: Be prepared for interactive discussions. Treat the presentation not as a monologue, but as a conversation to explore how your skills can best serve Contact Energy. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your methodologies and decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strategic understanding of CX and service design, a strong ability to influence and collaborate, and a practical grasp of operational execution. The portfolio is the centerpiece, so preparation should involve refining case studies to highlight these aspects effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this CX & Service Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the Contact Energy careers portal via the provided link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful service design or CX projects that best demonstrate end-to-end journey design, operational integration, and measurable results. Ensure these are professionally presented and easily shareable.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience in high-volume service environments, end-to-end journey leadership, stakeholder influence, and data-informed decision-making. Use keywords from the job description and ensure achievements are quantified.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on telling a compelling story that connects your experience to Contact Energy's needs and values. Be ready to articulate your strategic approach and operational considerations.

• Research Contact Energy: thoroughly understand the company's mission, values, industry position, and recent initiatives. Familiarize yourself with their customer offerings in energy, broadband, and mobile.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

---