IT Specialist (UX and Service Design)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: IT Specialist (UX and Service Design)

Company: Asian Development Bank

Location: Manila, Philippines

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary

Category: Technology & Operations Strategy

Date Posted: April 22, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is crucial for enhancing IT resilience by improving service visibility and dependency clarity through advanced UX and Service Design methodologies.

• You will be instrumental in linking business processes to the underlying systems, integrations, and operational handoffs that support them, fostering a more robust operational framework.

• The position requires translating complex service landscapes into actionable artifacts like process maps, service blueprints, and dependency views for critical decision-making.

• A key aspect of this role involves scaling design thinking practices across product teams by upskilling Business Analysts and squads, enabling them to better understand and implement service design outputs.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role, while titled "IT Specialist," focuses heavily on operational process improvement and user experience within the IT landscape. It bridges the gap between technical systems and business operations, aligning with GTM and RevOps principles of understanding user journeys and system dependencies that impact service delivery and efficiency. The emphasis on "resilience" and "service visibility" points to a strong operational risk and continuous improvement component.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Enhance IT Resilience: Develop and maintain comprehensive end-to-end views of priority business services, detailing workflows, handoffs, controls, ownership, dependencies, and supporting IT systems.

• Create Process-to-System Artifacts: Design and produce "as-is" and "to-be" process maps and service blueprints that clearly illustrate integrations, downstream impacts, manual workarounds, and identified gaps in service delivery.

• Translate Discovery into Delivery: Collaborate closely with product teams to convert service design findings into prioritized backlogs, well-defined acceptance criteria, and specific integration requirements for implementation.

• Facilitate Cross-Functional Alignment: Lead and facilitate workshops involving business, operations, IT, security, and risk stakeholders to achieve consensus on service boundaries, dependency assumptions, failure modes, recovery strategies, and improvement priorities.

• Upskill Teams at Scale: Train and coach Product Business Analysts (BAs) and development squads on effective fit-for-purpose design thinking and service design methodologies, including process mapping, service blueprints, journey mapping, and evidence capture.

• Reduce Operational Friction and Errors: Proactively identify operational risks stemming from confusing handoffs, unclear ownership, or brittle dependencies, and translate these findings into clearer requirements, controls, and backlog items for remediation.

• Support Evidence-Based Business Cases: Strengthen problem framing, benefit articulation, and risk/mitigation narratives by leveraging service dependency evidence and comprehensive stakeholder insights to drive strategic decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong focus on process documentation, system integration mapping, and cross-functional collaboration, which are core to effective Revenue Operations and Sales Operations. The emphasis on "translating discovery into delivery" and "upskilling squads" indicates a strategic role in driving operational efficiency and adoption of best practices, rather than just documentation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• A minimum of 6 years of progressive experience in business analysis, service design, product discovery, process improvement, or operational workflow transformation.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to document and explain end-to-end services through "as-is/to-be" process maps, service blueprints, and dependency/integration views, connecting business workflows to back-stage processes, controls, handoffs, systems, and integrations.

• Proven ability to conduct fit-for-purpose discovery activities (stakeholder interviews, observation, document/process review, workshops) and synthesize findings into decision-ready insights and artifacts.

• Strong capability to translate findings into implementable delivery artifacts (epics/stories, requirements, acceptance criteria, integration requirements) and effectively collaborate with engineering and product teams, including backlog shaping and refinement.

• Excellent facilitation skills to manage difficult discussions and align diverse groups (business, operations, IT, security, risk) towards evidence-based decisions.

• Strong visual storytelling and stakeholder-ready documentation skills; proficiency in collaboration and mapping tools such as Miro/Mural, Visio/Lucidchart, and Confluence.

Preferred Skills:

• Demonstrated familiarity with prototyping and testing tools.

• Certification from Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) or equivalent advanced training in UX research/service design.

• Exposure to Lean/Six Sigma or Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), with a focus on clarity and outcomes over diagram purity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills are highly aligned with operations roles that demand strong analytical, process mapping, and communication abilities. The emphasis on translating technical designs into implementable backlog items is a key differentiator for operations professionals who bridge strategy and execution. Familiarity with specific tools like Miro, Visio, and Confluence is crucial for candidates to demonstrate practical experience in operational documentation and workflow design.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Process Documentation: Showcase examples of detailed "as-is" and "to-be" process maps, service blueprints, and workflow diagrams that clearly articulate system integrations and operational handoffs.

• Service Design Artifacts: Include examples of journey maps, dependency maps, or integration views that visually represent the end-to-end service delivery lifecycle and identify critical interdependencies.

• Discovery Synthesis: Provide examples of how you've synthesized findings from stakeholder interviews, workshops, or process reviews into actionable insights and decision-grade artifacts.

• Delivery Translation: Demonstrate how you've translated design outputs into implementable requirements, such as user stories, epics, or backlog items, with clear acceptance criteria.

• Impact Demonstration: Quantify the improvements achieved through your process optimization or service design initiatives, highlighting efficiency gains, risk reduction, or enhanced user experience.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Highlight experience in designing, documenting, and optimizing complex business and IT workflows, focusing on clarity, efficiency, and risk mitigation.

• System Integration Mapping: Provide examples of how you've mapped and documented system integrations, data flows, and operational handoffs between different platforms and teams.

• Performance Analysis: Showcase how you use documented processes and service designs to analyze performance, identify bottlenecks, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations roles, a portfolio is critical. This section emphasizes the need for tangible evidence of process mapping, service design, and the ability to translate insights into actionable delivery items. Candidates should prepare case studies that clearly demonstrate their capability in visualizing complex operational landscapes and driving tangible improvements.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Housing and education allowance (if applicable)

• Expatriate benefits (if applicable)

• Relocation assistance (if applicable)

• Retirement plan

• Medical and health benefits

• Paid leave (including parental leave)

• Life and other insurance plans

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work week of 40 hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on general market data for international organizations in Manila for a role requiring specialized skills and significant experience. ADB's benefits package is known to be comprehensive, reflecting its status as a major international financial institution and its commitment to supporting its employees, especially those relocating.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: International Development Banking & Finance

Company Size: 5,000+ employees (ADB is a large, established international organization)

Founded: 1966 (ADB has a long history of fostering regional economic growth and development.)

Team Structure:

• Reporting: You will report to a Designated International Staff member within the Technology Strategy and Engineering Unit (ITOD-TSEU) of the Information Technology Department (ITD).

• Supervision: You will oversee junior staff members, indicating a leadership component.

• Departmental Context: The role is within the Information Technology Department, specifically focusing on strategy and engineering, underscoring a blend of technical oversight and forward-looking planning.

Methodology:

• Design Thinking & Service Design: The core methodologies for this role, focusing on user-centric problem-solving and understanding the end-to-end service delivery.

• Data-Driven Insights: Emphasis on using evidence and stakeholder insights to inform decisions and drive improvements.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: A fundamental approach to align diverse teams (business, IT, operations, risk, security) towards common goals.

• Agile Practices: Implied through the translation of discovery into iterative delivery backlogs and upskilling of product teams.

Company Website: https://www.adb.org/

📝 Enhancement Note: ADB's mission-driven culture in international development is significant. The role's placement within ITD's Technology Strategy and Engineering Unit suggests a focus on not just maintaining systems but strategically improving how technology supports ADB's broader development goals through enhanced service design and operational efficiency.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level:

Reporting Structure:

Operations Impact:

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization Advancement: Deepen expertise in UX, Service Design, and IT service management within a large, complex international organization.

• Leadership Development: Gain experience in mentoring junior staff and leading cross-functional workshops, building leadership capabilities.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to ADB's IT strategy and engineering efforts, influencing how technology services are designed, delivered, and optimized.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Work across various departments (Business, IT, Risk, Security), broadening understanding of organizational operations and stakeholder needs.

• Potential for Contract Extension: While initially temporary, successful performance and continued funding could lead to extensions, offering a stable period for impactful work.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity for operations professionals to apply their skills in a global development context. The growth potential lies in developing expertise in complex system-environment mapping and influencing strategic IT decisions, which is highly valuable for senior operations roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Headquarters in Manila, Philippines. This implies a professional, corporate office environment typical of a major international financial institution.

Office Location(s): Asian Development Bank Headquarters, Manila, Philippines. This location offers a vibrant urban setting with access to professional networks and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role emphasizes facilitating workshops and aligning diverse groups, suggesting a workspace that supports collaboration, brainstorming, and team-based problem-solving.

• Technology-Rich: As an IT Specialist role, expect access to modern IT infrastructure, collaboration tools (Miro, Mural, Confluence), and necessary software for design and documentation.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Frequent interaction with various departments (business, IT, operations, security, risk) will be integral to the role, fostering a dynamic and interconnected work environment.

Work Schedule:

• A standard 40-hour work week is expected. While the role is on-site, international organizations often offer some flexibility within core working hours to accommodate global team interactions and personal needs, though this is not explicitly detailed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Manila suggests a structured work environment focused on direct collaboration. For operations professionals, this means being part of a cohesive team where in-person interaction can facilitate faster decision-making and knowledge transfer, particularly for complex process design and system mapping.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of application and resume for alignment with technical and experience requirements.

• Technical/Skills Assessment: Potential for a practical exercise or case study focusing on process mapping, service blueprinting, or problem-solving related to IT service delivery.

• Interviews: Likely involves multiple rounds with hiring managers, team members, and potentially senior stakeholders to assess technical expertise, problem-solving skills, collaboration style, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review: A critical component where candidates will present and discuss their portfolio of work, demonstrating practical application of service design and process improvement methodologies.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Process-to-System Linkages: Clearly demonstrate how your portfolio pieces showcase the connection between business processes and the underlying IT systems, integrations, and operational handoffs.

• Showcase Discovery to Delivery: Present examples that illustrate your ability to conduct discovery, synthesize findings, and translate them into actionable requirements or backlog items.

• Quantify Impact: For each relevant portfolio item, be prepared to discuss the outcomes, such as efficiency gains, risk reduction, cost savings, or improved service delivery metrics.

• Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your experience with collaboration and mapping tools (Miro, Mural, Visio, Lucidchart, Confluence) and how you leverage them to create clear, effective documentation.

• Facilitation Examples: If possible, include examples or describe scenarios where you facilitated cross-functional workshops and achieved alignment among diverse stakeholders.

Challenge Preparation:

• Process Mapping Exercise: Be prepared to sketch out or discuss how you would map a given business process, identifying key steps, systems, handoffs, and potential pain points.

• Service Design Scenario: Anticipate a scenario where you need to design or improve a service, requiring you to think about user journeys, back-stage processes, and dependencies.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Prepare to discuss how you would approach aligning different departments (e.g., business users, IT operations, security) on a complex issue related to service delivery or system integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and practical challenges highlights the hands-on nature of this role. Operations candidates should prepare to walk through their projects, explaining their thought process, methodologies, and the tangible results achieved. This is where demonstrating the ability to translate complex operational data into clear, actionable plans is key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Collaboration & Mapping: Miro, Mural, Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart. Proficiency in these tools is essential for creating process maps, service blueprints, journey maps, and dependency diagrams.

• Documentation & Knowledge Management: Confluence. This platform will likely be used for documenting findings, creating artifacts, and sharing knowledge across teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly mentioned as core requirements for this specific role, but understanding how CRM systems and workflow automation tools integrate with broader business processes and IT services will be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of collaboration and mapping tools is critical. Candidates should highlight their experience and proficiency with these specific platforms, as they are central to the daily tasks of documenting, visualizing, and communicating complex service designs and operational workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to ADB's mission of alleviating poverty and fostering sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Emphasis on working together across diverse teams and backgrounds, valuing different perspectives to achieve common goals.

• Excellence & Integrity: Upholding high standards in work quality, ethical conduct, and decision-making.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A proactive approach to identifying opportunities for enhancement, adopting new methodologies, and driving efficiency.

• Data-Informed Decision Making: Valuing evidence and insights to guide strategic choices and operational improvements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role necessitates close collaboration with business units, IT operations, security, and risk management teams, requiring strong interpersonal and communication skills to bridge technical and business perspectives.

• Workshop Facilitation: A key aspect involves leading workshops to gather input, drive alignment, and co-create solutions with diverse stakeholders.

• Knowledge Sharing: An environment that encourages sharing best practices, learnings, and insights to upskill teams and improve collective understanding of service delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding ADB's values is key to demonstrating cultural fit. For operations professionals, aligning with a mission-driven organization and embracing a collaborative, data-informed approach will be highly valued. The emphasis on cross-functional integration is a strong indicator of how operations roles are expected to function within ADB.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Global Operations: Navigating the intricate web of processes, systems, and stakeholders across a large international development bank presents inherent complexity.

• Bridging Business and IT: Effectively translating technical system capabilities and limitations into understandable business impact, and vice versa, requires strong communication and analytical skills.

• Driving Change and Adoption: Scaling design thinking and service design practices across diverse teams and encouraging adoption of new methodologies can be challenging.

• Managing Stakeholder Expectations: Aligning diverse priorities and expectations from various departments (business, IT, risk, security) requires skillful negotiation and communication.

• Working with Legacy Systems: Integrating modern design principles with potentially older or complex existing IT infrastructures.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Skill Enhancement: Deepen expertise in UX research, service design, process mapping, and IT service management within a global context.

• International Development Sector Exposure: Gain unique insights into the operational challenges and technological needs of a leading multilateral development bank.

• Mentorship and Coaching: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior staff and coaching product teams on design thinking methodologies.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Interact with experts in IT strategy, engineering, business analysis, risk management, and security.

• Potential for Contract Extension: While temporary, a successful tenure could lead to extensions, providing a sustained period for impactful contributions and further professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Operations professionals thrive on solving complex challenges. This role offers significant opportunities to refine problem-solving skills in a global, mission-critical environment, with clear pathways for skill development in specialized operational areas.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach mapping the end-to-end service delivery for [a specific ADB service, e.g., loan processing]?" (Focus on your methodology, tools, and stakeholder engagement strategy.)

• "Describe a time you translated complex technical dependencies into actionable backlog items for a development team. What was the outcome?" (Highlight your ability to bridge discovery and delivery.)

• "How do you ensure buy-in and alignment from diverse stakeholders (e.g., business, IT, risk) when designing a new service or process?" (Prepare examples of facilitation and negotiation.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What attracts you to the Asian Development Bank's mission and its work in Asia and the Pacific?" (Research ADB's strategic priorities and recent projects.)

• "How do you see your role contributing to ADB's IT resilience and operational efficiency?" (Connect your skills to the role's stated objectives.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame your portfolio pieces as mini-case studies. Start with the problem or objective, detail your approach (methodologies, tools), present the solution (artifacts), and clearly articulate the results or impact.

• Focus on Process & Systems: For each example, explicitly show how you linked business processes to IT systems, integrations, and operational handoffs.

• Quantify Achievements: Use metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., reduction in process time, decrease in errors, improvement in user satisfaction scores).

• Tool Demonstration: Be prepared to briefly walk through how you used specific tools (Miro, Visio, Confluence) to create your artifacts and facilitate collaboration.

• Address 'Why': Be ready to explain the rationale behind your design choices and strategic decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for this interview requires not just technical knowledge but also the ability to articulate your operational strategy and impact through concrete examples. The portfolio presentation is a key differentiator for operations roles, so practice explaining your process and results clearly and concisely.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Asian Development Bank's Taleo career portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to specifically highlight your experience in UX design, service design, process mapping, stakeholder facilitation, and translating design insights into actionable delivery items. Quantify your achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 key projects that best demonstrate your skills in creating process maps, service blueprints, dependency maps, and translating findings into implementable requirements. Be ready to present these virtually or in person.

• Research ADB: Familiarize yourself with ADB's mission, strategic priorities, recent projects, and its approach to technology and operations. Understand how your role contributes to their broader goals.

• Practice Interview Questions: Prepare to answer behavioral and situational questions, focusing on your experience with cross-functional collaboration, problem-solving, and driving operational improvements. Practice presenting your portfolio with clear storytelling and impact-focused narratives.

⚠️ 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.