Senior Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Service Designer

Company: H&R Block

Location: Missouri, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Service Design / Experience Strategy

Date Posted: February 20, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years

Remote Status: Remote Possible (Hybrid Preferred in Kansas City)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and own end-to-end service design initiatives, ensuring successful planning, research, synthesis, and delivery to achieve measurable outcomes.

• Strategically partner with senior leaders across product, design, research, and operations to define problems, prioritize opportunities, and influence program-level decisions.

• Drive innovation by designing and prototyping future-state service models that connect strategic vision with practical execution, validating new approaches before scaling.

• Advance the organization's design maturity by mentoring team members, establishing repeatable methodologies, and evolving best practices for service design.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Service Designer," the responsibilities and required experience (8+ years) suggest a role with significant strategic influence, akin to a Service Design Lead or Principal Service Designer. This role is crucial for transforming client experiences and operational efficiency within H&R Block's service delivery framework.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead multiple high-impact service design initiatives from scoping and planning through research, synthesis, and delivery, driving clarity, alignment, and measurable outcomes across teams.

• Partner strategically with senior product, design, research, and operations leaders to shape problem definitions, prioritize opportunities, and influence decision-making at the program or portfolio level.

• Plan and conduct complex generative and evaluative research to uncover customer motivations, behaviors, and ecosystem-level pain points, translating insights into actionable service opportunities.

• Map and model end-to-end service ecosystems, including customer journeys, service blueprints, and experience flows, identifying systemic risks, gaps, and interdependencies across roles, systems, and touchpoints.

• Design and facilitate high-stakes workshops and co-creation sessions with cross-functional stakeholders and leadership to align on North Star experiences, service principles, and transformation roadmaps.

• Shape future-state service models and prototypes that connect strategy to execution, testing and validating new ways of working, roles, and client experiences before scaling.

• Advance design maturity by mentoring others, establishing repeatable methods, and evolving the tools, frameworks, and playbooks that elevate how service design is practiced across the organization.

• Balance user needs, business goals, and operational realities, applying a systems-thinking mindset to ensure every solution delivers both client and organizational value.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on strategic partnership, research rigor, and the practical application of design principles to operational realities. The role requires not only design expertise but also strong facilitation and influencing skills to drive organizational change.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 8+ years of professional experience leading service design or experience strategy initiatives that span people, process, and technology, with measurable impact in real-world implementations.

• Proven ability to influence and align senior stakeholders, facilitate decision-making, and translate ambiguity into clarity and direction.

• Deep expertise in human-centered design principles, journey mapping, service blueprints, and continuous service improvement methodologies.

• Strong collaboration skills across business, product, marketing, and technology functions to ensure holistic solution development.

• Demonstrated ability to define frameworks and standards that raise the bar for how design is practiced across teams.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in Service Design methodologies and frameworks.

• Proficiency in Journey Mapping and Service Blueprinting for holistic experience analysis.

• Strong facilitation and workshop leadership skills for co-creation and alignment.

• Advanced research techniques (generative and evaluative) for uncovering deep customer insights.

• Systems Thinking to understand interconnectedness of people, process, and technology.

• Stakeholder Management and influence to drive strategic decision-making.

• Prototyping and ideation for tangible solution development.

Preferred Skills:

• Proficiency in Miro, FigJam, Figma, and other relevant digital facilitation or prototyping tools.

• Experience in mentoring junior designers or evolving design practices within an organization.

• Understanding of operational realities and how to balance them with user needs and business goals.

• Experience in the financial services or tax preparation industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required experience level and the emphasis on influencing senior stakeholders indicate this role is for an experienced practitioner who can operate independently and mentor others. The mention of specific tools like Miro, FigJam, and Figma suggests a need for hands-on capability in digital collaboration and design environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end leadership of complex service design initiatives, showcasing the problem, process, and quantifiable outcomes.

• Include examples of detailed journey maps, service blueprints, or ecosystem models that illustrate systemic understanding and identify opportunities for improvement.

• Showcase your ability to translate research insights into actionable strategies and tangible service improvements.

• Highlight experience in facilitating workshops and co-creation sessions, documenting how diverse stakeholders were aligned on a shared vision.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate the research methodologies employed (e.g., interviews, surveys, ethnographic studies) and how insights were synthesized.

• Detail the process for mapping complex service ecosystems and identifying key touchpoints, pain points, and opportunities for intervention.

• Document your approach to prototyping and validating new service concepts, including any user testing or feedback mechanisms used.

• Illustrate how you balanced user needs, business objectives, and operational constraints in your design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their process, explain their strategic choices, and articulate the impact their work has had on both client experience and business outcomes. Emphasis should be placed on the strategic and leadership aspects of their projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $89,800.00 - $134,700.00 / Year

Benefits:

• Medical and prescription drug coverage for associates and eligible dependents.

• Participation in the H&R Block Retirement Savings Plan (401(k) Plan).

• Access to the Employee Assistance Program for support services.

• Virtual fitness center programs to promote well-being.

• Associate discount program for various offerings.

• Automatic enrollment in Business Travel Accident Insurance.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with potential for flexibility given the remote possibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is a strong indicator of a senior-level role requiring significant expertise. The comprehensive benefits package reflects a commitment to employee well-being and financial security, common for established organizations like H&R Block. The "Remote Possible" status, with a preference for Kansas City, suggests a hybrid model might be expected for regular team interaction.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Tax Preparation

Company Size: Large (H&R Block has 70,000 associates globally)

Founded: 1955

Company Description: H&R Block is a global leader in tax preparation, financial services, and small business solutions with a strong purpose: to provide help and inspire confidence. They emphasize an inclusive culture where associates feel a sense of belonging, with a focus on accelerating transformation and achieving extraordinary results.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Service Designer will likely be part of a broader Design or Experience Strategy team, potentially within a Product or Innovation division.

• This role requires close collaboration with Product Management, UX Research, UX Design, and Operations teams, indicating a matrixed or highly cross-functional reporting structure.

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes a client-centric approach, aiming to "reimagine how we serve our clients and communities."

• Service design initiatives are expected to create "meaningful experiences" that connect customer needs with business goals, driving "both client success and business growth."

• A systems-thinking mindset is encouraged to ensure solutions deliver value across client interactions and organizational operations.

Company Website: https://careers.hrblock.com

📝 Enhancement Note: H&R Block's culture appears to value purpose, belonging, and results. For a Senior Service Designer, this means opportunities to influence significant client-facing initiatives and operational improvements within a large, established organization. The emphasis on "accelerating transformation" suggests a dynamic environment open to innovative approaches.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor / Lead

This role is positioned as a senior individual contributor, expected to lead complex projects independently and mentor others. It signifies a high level of expertise in service design, strategic thinking, and influencing capabilities. The scope extends to shaping strategy and advancing design maturity across the organization.

Reporting Structure:

• Likely reports to a Director or VP of Design, Experience Strategy, or a related innovation function.

Operations Impact:

• The Senior Service Designer will directly impact H&R Block's ability to deliver seamless, client-centric services, which is critical for customer satisfaction, retention, and business growth.

• By identifying and addressing systemic pain points across people, process, and technology, this role contributes to operational efficiency, cost reduction, and enhanced service delivery quality.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunity to deepen expertise in complex service ecosystems, strategic foresight, and driving organizational change through design.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into a management role overseeing a team of service designers or to become a Principal/Lead Service Designer, setting strategic direction for the discipline.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gaining deeper insights into product development, operational challenges, and business strategy within the financial services sector.

• Industry Impact: Contributing to significant transformations within a well-known brand, enhancing reputation and potentially leading to speaking engagements or industry recognition.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for growth within a large enterprise, focusing on strategic impact and leadership in the design and operations space. Candidates should view this as a path to shaping critical client experiences and driving operational excellence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type:

Office Location(s):

Workspace Context:

• The role emphasizes collaboration with cross-functional teams (product, design, research, operations), suggesting a dynamic, team-oriented work environment.

• Expect access to digital collaboration tools (Miro, FigJam, Figma) and potentially a well-equipped physical office space for workshops and team meetings if working hybrid.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week) are expected. The "Remote Possible" aspect may offer some flexibility in daily scheduling, but responsiveness to team needs and project deadlines will be paramount.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid/remote-friendly nature of this role, coupled with a preference for a key office location, indicates a modern work environment that balances flexibility with the need for in-person collaboration, especially for high-stakes design workshops and team alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience alignment, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Deeper dive into experience, leadership capabilities, and strategic thinking related to service design and operations.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will likely present several case studies from their portfolio, detailing their process, challenges, solutions, and impact on client and business outcomes. This is a critical stage to assess practical skills and strategic approach.

• Cross-functional Panel Interview: Interviews with key stakeholders from Product, Operations, and other relevant departments to evaluate collaboration skills, ability to influence, and understanding of business/operational contexts.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Design) to confirm strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business and client outcomes of your work. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., improved NPS, reduced call volume, increased conversion rates).

• Showcase Your Process: Walk through your end-to-end service design process, emphasizing how you translated research into actionable strategies and solutions. Highlight your use of journey maps, service blueprints, and co-creation workshops.

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Explain why you made certain design decisions, how you aligned stakeholders, and how your work contributed to broader business goals.

• Highlight Collaboration: Provide examples of how you worked with operations, product, and other teams to ensure feasibility and buy-in.

• Tailor to H&R Block: If possible, subtly connect your experience to the financial services industry or the challenges H&R Block might face in client service delivery.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a case study or a whiteboard exercise that simulates a service design challenge. This might involve analyzing a given scenario, mapping a journey, or brainstorming solutions for a specific client problem.

• Practice articulating complex ideas concisely and visually.

• Think about how to balance user needs with operational constraints and business objectives – a key requirement for this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess not only design skills but also strategic thinking, leadership, collaboration, and the ability to translate complex problems into actionable, impactful solutions within an operational framework. A well-prepared portfolio presentation is crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Digital Whiteboarding/Collaboration: Miro, FigJam (explicitly mentioned as required proficiency). These are critical for remote and hybrid collaboration, workshop facilitation, and ideation.

• Prototyping & Design: Figma (explicitly mentioned as required proficiency). Essential for creating visual representations of service concepts, user flows, and experience prototypes.

• Research & Synthesis Tools: While not explicitly mentioned, proficiency with tools for user interviews, surveys, and data analysis (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Dovetail, Optimal Workshop) is often expected for generative and evaluative research.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) and workflow automation principles will be beneficial, as service design often interfaces with operational processes and customer relationship management. Understanding how technology can enable or hinder service delivery is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with digital collaboration and design tools like Miro, FigJam, and Figma is a non-negotiable requirement. The role will involve leveraging these tools extensively for research synthesis, ideation, workshop facilitation, and prototyping. Understanding how to integrate service design insights into operational workflows and CRM systems will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and serving client needs to provide "help and inspire confidence."

• Collaboration: Emphasis on working together ("winning as a team") to achieve strategies and accelerate transformation.

• Impact & Results: Driving "extraordinary results" and achieving measurable outcomes.

• Innovation: Reimagining how services are delivered and embracing change.

• Inclusivity: Fostering a sense of belonging for all associates.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly cross-functional, requiring strong partnerships with Product, Design, Research, and Operations.

• Emphasis on facilitation, co-creation, and aligning diverse stakeholders towards a common vision.

• Mentoring and knowledge sharing are expected to elevate design practices across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values suggest an environment where a proactive, collaborative, and results-oriented Service Designer can thrive. Success will depend on the ability to build strong relationships across departments and champion a user-centered approach that aligns with business objectives and operational realities.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Driving Organizational Change: Navigating a large organization to implement service design improvements and influence established operational processes.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing diverse perspectives from clients, business leaders, and operational teams to create solutions that are desirable, feasible, and viable.

• Measuring Impact: Quantifying the value of service design initiatives, especially those that address systemic, long-term improvements rather than immediate feature releases.

• Integrating Design Maturity: Continuously advocating for and embedding human-centered design practices within a complex operational environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Opportunities to shape long-term client experience strategy and influence major transformation initiatives.

• Industry Expertise: Deepening knowledge of the financial services and tax preparation industry's operational nuances and client needs.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the service design discipline within H&R Block.

• Advanced Methodologies: Exploring and applying advanced service design techniques, systems thinking, and change management strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges related to organizational change and impact measurement, but these are paired with substantial growth opportunities for experienced professionals looking to make a strategic impact and advance their careers in a leading organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a complex service design initiative from start to finish. What was the problem, your process, the biggest challenge, and the outcome?" (Focus on end-to-end ownership, problem definition, and impact.)

• "How do you approach mapping an entire service ecosystem, and what kind of insights do you typically uncover?" (Prepare to discuss journey mapping, service blueprints, and systemic analysis.)

• "How do you influence senior stakeholders and gain buy-in for your design recommendations, especially when they challenge operational realities?" (Highlight your communication, negotiation, and strategic alignment skills.)

• "Describe your experience facilitating workshops with diverse cross-functional teams. How do you ensure alignment and actionable outcomes?" (Emphasize your facilitation techniques and ability to drive consensus.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about H&R Block and our mission? How do you see service design contributing to our purpose?" (Research H&R Block's purpose, values, and recent initiatives.)

• "How have you contributed to advancing design maturity or establishing repeatable methods within an organization?" (Showcase your experience in elevating design practices.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly present the Problem, Your Role & Process, Key Insights, Solutions (including prototypes/blueprints), and importantly, the Impact/Outcomes.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals of your maps, blueprints, and prototypes. Ensure they are legible and clearly explain the story.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story about how you tackled a challenge and delivered value. Connect your actions to tangible results.

• Q&A Readiness: Prepare for in-depth questions about your decisions, methodologies, and the challenges you faced. Be ready to discuss how your work aligns with business and operational goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect a rigorous interview process that tests your practical design skills, strategic thinking, and ability to operate effectively within a large, complex organization. Your portfolio presentation is your primary tool to demonstrate your capabilities and impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the H&R Block careers portal at careers.hrblock.com.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight experience in service design, experience strategy, journey mapping, service blueprints, stakeholder management, and leading cross-functional initiatives. Quantify your achievements where possible.

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that demonstrate end-to-end leadership, strategic impact, and proficiency in core service design methodologies. Be prepared to present these in detail.

• Prepare for case studies: Practice articulating your thought process for common service design challenges, focusing on balancing user needs, business goals, and operational realities.

• Research H&R Block: Understand their mission, values, and recent business initiatives to articulate how your skills can contribute to their strategic objectives.

⚠️ 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.