GAIN Experience - Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: GAIN Experience - Service Designer

Company: This is Gain Ltd

Location: London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience / Service Design Operations

Date Posted: April 28, 2026

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is focused on leveraging User Experience (UX) and Service Design principles to create user-centered digital products and services that deliver tangible business impact.

• The Service Designer will be instrumental in bridging client business objectives with user needs through comprehensive research, design, and stakeholder collaboration.

• A key aspect of this role involves the development and implementation of service blueprints, user journeys, and system maps to visualize and optimize user experiences.

• The position requires a proactive approach to data analysis, outcome metric definition, and iterative design based on evidence to drive continuous improvement in product and service offerings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job title "Service Designer" and the responsibilities clearly indicate this role sits within the broader GTM/Operations function, specifically focusing on the "Experience" business unit. It requires a blend of strategic thinking, user advocacy, and practical design execution, aligning with operations roles that ensure customer satisfaction and business efficiency through service optimization. The emphasis on measurable business impact and data-driven decisions is a hallmark of modern operations roles.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Liaise directly with clients to thoroughly understand their business objectives, gather detailed requirements, and communicate project scope with confidence.

• Design and execute a variety of UX research activities, including surveys, depth interviews, usability testing, card sorting, competitor reviews, persona development, information architecture, wireframing, and prototype creation.

• Develop comprehensive "as-is" and "to-be" service blueprints, detailed user journeys, and system maps to illustrate current and future states of service delivery.

• Define key outcome metrics for services and products, track performance against these metrics, and iteratively evolve designs based on research findings and empirical evidence.

• Lead and facilitate collaborative workshops with clients and internal teams to co-design and implement effective solutions that meet user and business needs.

• Analyze research data to identify critical problems, uncover opportunities for service enhancement, and formulate data-driven recommendations.

• Confidently present recommendations to product, design, and client teams using appropriate formats, including verbal presentations, written reports, and conceptual models.

• Collaborate with research participant recruitment teams to ensure the identification and engagement of representative users for product and service testing.

• Manage UX projects from initiation to completion, including stakeholder communication, project timeline planning, and resource allocation.

• Provide support to broader GAIN teams, including client services, sales, and marketing, as required to ensure cohesive Go-To-Market strategies and client engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on client interaction, project management, and the end-to-end service design process. For an operations role, this translates to managing the "delivery" aspect of the customer journey and ensuring operational efficiency and effectiveness in service provision. The need to define and track outcome metrics is a core operations function, linking design efforts directly to measurable business results.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Ideally educated to Degree level in a relevant field (e.g., Human-Computer Interaction, Design, Psychology, Business) or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• A minimum of 2 years of commercial experience in User Experience (UX) design.

Required Skills:

• Proficient in a variety of UX research methodologies, including surveys, depth interviews, usability testing, card sorting, and expert evaluations.

• Skilled in creating essential UX artifacts such as personas, journey maps, and service blueprints that clearly articulate user needs and service flows.

• Experienced in facilitating co-design workshops and engaging effectively with diverse stakeholders at various organizational levels.

• Adept at visually communicating design solutions through wireframes, prototypes, and other design representations.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.

• Experience in defining research participant recruitment criteria to ensure relevant user feedback.

• Proactive problem-solving abilities with a strong "can-do" attitude and a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with information architecture (IA) development and tree testing.

• Familiarity with competitor review and analysis processes.

• Proven ability to define and track outcome metrics for products and services.

• Experience in leading or co-leading collaborative design sprints.

• Understanding of agile development methodologies and how UX integrates within them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "2 years' commercial experience" and "agency/consultancy experience" suggests a role that requires a degree of autonomy and client-facing confidence, typical for mid-level operations or specialist roles. The blend of research, design, and client liaison skills points to a GTM operations function that directly influences product/service development and client satisfaction.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end service design or UX projects.

• Each case study should clearly outline the problem statement, the user research methodologies employed, and the design process followed.

• Highlight the creation and application of key artifacts such as service blueprints, user journeys, personas, wireframes, and prototypes.

• Quantify the impact of your work: demonstrate how your designs led to measurable improvements in user satisfaction, business metrics (e.g., conversion rates, engagement, efficiency), or ROI.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in documenting "as-is" and "to-be" service states through clear and comprehensive service blueprints and system maps.

• Provide examples of how you have defined and tracked outcome metrics and used this data to inform iterative design improvements.

• Showcase your ability to translate complex research findings into actionable insights and clear recommendations for product and design teams.

• Include examples of workshop outputs and how facilitated sessions led to concrete design decisions or strategic directions.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Service Designer role within a consultancy like GAIN, the portfolio is crucial. It needs to prove not just design capability but also the ability to manage client relationships, drive process, and deliver measurable outcomes – all core to operations. The portfolio should reflect an understanding of how service design impacts business operations and revenue.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Private Medical Insurance: Comprehensive healthcare coverage for employees.

• Life Assurance: Financial security for beneficiaries.

• Income Protection: Support during periods of long-term illness or disability.

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential counseling and support services.

• Cycle to Work Salary Sacrifice Scheme: Incentives for sustainable commuting.

• Tech & Wearables Salary Sacrifice Scheme: Access to the latest technology.

• Octopus EV Scheme: Opportunities for electric vehicle leasing.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week.

• The hybrid work arrangement offers flexibility, allowing for a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration in London or Bristol.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on UK market data for UX/Service Design roles in London, considering the specified experience level and the consultancy context. The benefits listed are standard for UK-based full-time employees and are typical for professional services firms. The hybrid nature suggests a need for strong self-management and communication skills, common in operations roles that balance independent work with team collaboration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The company operates within a blend of Technology, Creative & Media, Consulting, and Data & Analytics sectors. This multidisciplinary approach allows GAIN to offer integrated solutions that leverage data, creativity, and technology.

Company Size: GAIN is a medium-sized company, likely employing between 50-250 individuals globally, with a significant presence in the UK. This size typically fosters a dynamic environment where individuals can have a substantial impact, often with less bureaucracy than larger corporations.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, GAIN presents itself as an established entity with specialized teams, suggesting a history of growth and evolution. The company's narrative emphasizes a modern, forward-thinking approach to problem-solving, blending established expertise with innovative methodologies.

Team Structure:

• The "Experience" business unit is a core part of GAIN's structure, focusing on user-centered experiences.

• The Insight & UX team within Experience is led by a Head of Insight & UX, to whom this role reports.

• This team likely comprises UX researchers, Service Designers, UX/UI designers, and potentially data analysts, working collaboratively on client projects.

Methodology:

• Data-driven Creativity: GAIN emphasizes using data to inform and fuel creative output, ensuring strategies are both imaginative and grounded in evidence.

• Insight-led Innovation: The company champions a process where deep user and market insights spark innovative solutions and drive progress.

• Agile & Collaborative: The culture promotes agile ways of working, encouraging collaboration, rapid learning, and iterative development to achieve measurable business impact.

Company Website: https://www.thisisgain.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: GAIN's positioning as a "creative-led, insight-driven company that blends data, tech and creativity" indicates a sophisticated operational model. For a Service Designer, this means working in an environment that values analytical rigor and creative execution, commonly found in forward-thinking GTM and product operations teams. The "rebel thinking" and "make it happen" ethos suggests a culture that encourages initiative and proactive problem-solving.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an experienced individual contributor, likely at a mid-level (2-5 years experience). It offers a significant opportunity to gain broad experience across various client projects and industries within a consultancy setting. The "GAIN Experience" program title suggests a focus on professional development and learning.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer reports to the Head of Insight & UX. This provides direct mentorship and clear guidance from a senior leader in the UX and Service Design domain. This structure allows for focused development within the specialized "Experience" business unit.

Operations Impact: The Service Designer's work directly impacts client success by improving user experiences, which in turn drives key business metrics such as customer satisfaction, engagement, conversion rates, and operational efficiency. By translating insights into actionable service improvements, the role contributes significantly to GAIN's reputation for delivering measurable business impact.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in Service Design, UX Research methodologies, and specific industry verticals through diverse client engagements.

• Project Leadership: Progress to leading UX/Service Design projects, managing client relationships, and potentially mentoring junior team members.

• Cross-functional Acumen: Gain exposure to other GAIN specialist teams (Creative Studio, Conversion, Customer Science, Performance), broadening understanding of integrated GTM strategies.

• Client Strategy Influence: Develop the ability to influence client strategy and roadmap development through compelling insights and design solutions.

• Continuous Learning: Benefit from GAIN's culture of "rebel thinking" and commitment to continuous learning, potentially through internal training, workshops, and industry events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "GAIN Experience" title implies a structured program for professional development. For operations professionals, this role offers a clear path from executing design and research to potentially leading project streams and influencing client strategy, a common progression in operations consulting.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: GAIN offers a hybrid work model, allowing for remote work combined with in-office presence. The company has offices in London and Bristol, providing flexibility for employees. The office environment is likely designed to foster collaboration, creativity, and focused work.

Office Location(s):

• London, England, United Kingdom

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are expected to feature collaborative zones, meeting rooms, and potentially quiet areas conducive to both team-based design sprints and individual deep work.

• Technology Enabled: Access to necessary design software, collaboration tools, and reliable internet infrastructure is standard for a tech-forward consultancy.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model necessitates intentional opportunities for in-person team interaction, fostering strong working relationships and knowledge sharing within the Insight & UX team and across GAIN's specialist units.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an expected 40-hour work week. The hybrid arrangement provides flexibility in how and where these hours are fulfilled, balancing remote autonomy with in-office collaboration. This schedule is conducive to the iterative nature of design and research processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, demanding strong self-management and communication skills, which are essential for operations roles where remote collaboration and asynchronous work are common. The presence of offices in both London and Bristol caters to a wider talent pool and offers flexibility in work location.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess suitability for the role and experience level.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the Head of Insight & UX to discuss your background, experience, and fit with the team's objectives. Expect questions about your approach to service design and UX research.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A dedicated session where you will present 1-2 key projects from your portfolio, detailing your process, challenges, solutions, and outcomes. This is a critical stage to demonstrate your practical skills and strategic thinking.

• Workshop/Problem-Solving Exercise: You may be asked to participate in a short workshop or solve a design-related problem, simulating client scenarios to assess your problem-solving abilities and collaborative style.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or cross-functional team member to assess cultural fit, strategic alignment, and overall suitability for GAIN.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your service design and UX research capabilities, highlighting diverse methodologies and impactful outcomes.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, the tools and methods used, the challenges faced, and the quantifiable results achieved. Focus on the "why" and "how" behind your decisions.

• Showcase Artifacts: Include examples of service blueprints, user journey maps, personas, wireframes, and prototypes, explaining their purpose and how they informed the design.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the business value and user impact of your work. If direct metrics aren't available, explain the intended impact and how it would be measured.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize your ability to work with stakeholders, facilitate workshops, and communicate effectively with diverse audiences.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand GAIN's Ethos: Familiarize yourself with GAIN's core values: Rebel Thinking, Make It Happen, and Swarming Our Expertise. Prepare examples that demonstrate these principles in action.

• Service Design Principles: Refresh your knowledge of service design methodologies, user-centered design, and common UX research techniques.

• Client Scenarios: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a typical client brief, from initial discovery to solution delivery, within a consultancy context.

• Metrics & Measurement: Think about how you define success for a service or digital product and what metrics you would track.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process described is standard for design and consultancy roles, with a strong emphasis on portfolio presentation. For an operations candidate, this means demonstrating not just creative flair but also the ability to manage processes, deliver measurable results, and collaborate effectively – all key operational competencies.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision (or similar industry-standard tools for wireframing, prototyping, and visual design).

• Service Design & Mapping: Miro, Mural, Lucidchart (for collaborative whiteboarding, service blueprints, user journeys, and system mapping).

• User Research Platforms: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms (for surveys); UserTesting.com, Lookback (for usability testing); Optimal Workshop (for card sorting/tree testing).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (for understanding user behavior on digital products).

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker (for creating dashboards and reporting on key metrics).

• Spreadsheet Software: Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets (for data analysis and reporting).

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly mentioned as a primary tool for this role, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for understanding client ecosystems and user journeys across different touchpoints.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello (for managing project timelines, tasks, and team collaboration).

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in collaborative design tools like Miro/Mural is essential for service design and workshop facilitation. Familiarity with analytics tools is crucial for defining and tracking outcome metrics, a core responsibility for operations roles. Understanding how UX/Service Design impacts CRM and broader customer data strategies is also valuable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Rebel Thinking: Encourages curiosity, courage, and challenging assumptions to find smarter, braver solutions. This translates to a proactive approach to identifying process inefficiencies and proposing innovative improvements.

• Make It Happen: Emphasizes turning ambition into action, moving fast, learning quickly, and pushing through obstacles. This aligns with operations' need for execution, agility, and driving progress.

• Swarming Our Expertise: Values collaboration and leveraging diverse skills to solve complex problems faster. This points to a team culture that embraces cross-functional teamwork and knowledge sharing to achieve collective success.

• Data-Driven Impact: A core tenet is using data to fuel creativity and demonstrate measurable business impact, reflecting a commitment to analytical rigor and results-oriented operations.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The "Swarming Our Expertise" value highlights a collaborative style where individuals from different specialist teams (Creative Studio, Conversion, Customer Science, Experience, Performance) work together fluidly.

• Open Feedback Culture: The emphasis on "Rebel Thinking" suggests an environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and encouraged to drive continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: The collaborative nature of the company implies active sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings across teams and projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: GAIN's values—Rebel Thinking, Make It Happen, Swarming Our Expertise—are highly relevant to operations roles. They emphasize innovation, execution, and collaboration, all crucial for driving efficiency and impact within a GTM or service operations context.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Client Demands with Research Rigor: Clients may have tight deadlines or specific expectations, requiring the Service Designer to skillfully balance these with the need for thorough user research and evidence-based design.

• Translating Complex Insights into Actionable Designs: Synthesizing diverse research findings into clear, implementable design solutions can be challenging, requiring strong analytical and communication skills.

• Navigating Diverse Client Industries and Stakeholders: Adapting to different client business models, organizational structures, and stakeholder personalities requires flexibility and strong interpersonal skills.

• Measuring and Demonstrating ROI: Quantifying the exact business impact of service design interventions can be complex, requiring robust metric definition and tracking strategies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Service Design Techniques: Deepen expertise in areas like journey mapping, service blueprints, stakeholder mapping, and front-stage/back-stage service interactions.

• Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge: Gain broader exposure to GAIN's other specialist areas (e.g., conversion optimization, performance marketing, creative strategy) to develop a more holistic understanding of business growth.

• Client Strategy Development: Progress to influencing and shaping client business strategy through service innovation and user-centered design thinking.

• Leadership Skills: Develop project management and team leadership capabilities through leading client engagements and potentially mentoring junior designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in operations and consulting roles, emphasizing the need for adaptability, strong analytical skills, and effective stakeholder management. The growth opportunities highlight a clear path for career advancement within the specialized field of service design and broader GTM strategy.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used service blueprints to redesign a customer journey. What were the key insights and outcomes?" (Focus on process, data, and impact.)

• "How do you approach balancing client business objectives with user needs when they seem to conflict?" (Demonstrate negotiation, empathy, and data-driven advocacy.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do GAIN's values of Rebel Thinking, Make It Happen, and Swarming Our Expertise resonate with your work style?" (Prepare specific examples linking your experience to these values.)

• "How do you stay updated on the latest trends in UX and Service Design?" (Showcase a commitment to continuous learning.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research/design process, key decisions made with rationale, challenges overcome, and measurable results. Use a storytelling approach.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Visually present your artifacts (blueprints, journeys, wireframes, prototypes) and explain their significance.

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize the tangible business outcomes and user benefits achieved through your work. Use data and metrics wherever possible.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your process, decisions, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss alternative approaches you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for these types of questions requires candidates to connect their past experiences to GAIN's specific values and the operational demands of a consultancy role. Demonstrating an understanding of how service design contributes to measurable business impact is key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Workable application link provided.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature service design and UX research projects that demonstrate your ability to drive measurable business impact and improve user journeys. Highlight case studies involving client collaboration and problem-solving.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 2+ years of commercial UX experience, specifically mentioning service design methodologies, research techniques, and any agency or consultancy background. Quantify achievements with metrics where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on the narrative, process, and outcomes. Be ready to discuss how you embody GAIN's core values and approach client challenges.

• Company Research: Thoroughly review GAIN's website, understand their approach to blending data, tech, and creativity, and familiarize yourself with their specialist teams and core values to articulate your alignment during interviews.

⚠️ 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.

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