Senior Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Service Designer

Company: Westpac Group

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Job Type: Full time, Contract

Category: Service Design / Transformation Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-14

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in transforming customer and staff experiences through human-centered design within Westpac Group's Chief Transformation Office.

• Focuses on designing end-to-end, multi-channel service experiences from discovery through concept definition and delivery alignment.

• Requires strong collaboration with cross-functional teams including product, technology, operations, risk/compliance, and data to ensure successful implementation.

• Involves influencing senior stakeholders through evidence-led narratives and managing expectations to achieve desired outcomes in a complex, regulated environment.

• This position emphasizes the application of Human-Centred Design (HCD) methodologies to translate experience intent into tangible, deliverable results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job title "Senior Service Designer" and the inclusion of "Chief Transformation Office" suggest a role that bridges design strategy with operational execution. The responsibilities heavily lean into process design, stakeholder management within complex operational frameworks, and ensuring that designed experiences are feasible for implementation by operational teams. This role can be categorized under "Transformation Operations" due to its focus on driving change and improving service delivery processes within a large financial institution. The fixed-term contract nature also implies a project-based focus on transformation initiatives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and blueprint end-to-end service experiences across multiple channels, from initial discovery to delivery alignment.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product, technology, operations, risk/compliance, and data, to define service intent and enable implementation.

• Influence senior stakeholders across strategy, product, and project teams by developing and presenting clear, evidence-led narratives and insights.

• Manage stakeholder expectations and guide decision pathways to facilitate the effective implementation of designed experiences.

• Conduct and synthesize quantitative and qualitative research to generate actionable insights that inform experience design.

• Create service propositions, customer journey maps, service blueprints, and low-fidelity prototypes to articulate design concepts.

• Design, plan, and facilitate workshops to drive alignment, facilitate decision-making, and achieve tangible project outcomes.

• Produce clear experience requirements that enable product, technology, operations, risk/compliance, and data teams to deliver readiness.

• Actively participate in key project forums, such as stand-ups and planning sessions, to maintain continuous alignment and support ongoing design efforts.

• Contribute to the growth and development of the internal design community through coaching, pairing, and the creation of reusable templates and patterns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on operationalizing design. This includes not just conceptualization but also detailed blueprinting, requirements definition for operational teams, and active participation in project delivery cycles (stand-ups, planning). The interaction with "operations, risk/compliance, and data teams" is critical, indicating a need to understand and integrate with existing operational processes and constraints.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Business, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior Service Designer role. Specialized certifications in Service Design or Design Thinking are also beneficial.

Experience: Proven experience in service design, strategic design, Human-Centred Design (HCD), or related fields, with a portfolio demonstrating significant impact. Experience in complex, regulated environments, particularly financial services, is highly desirable. Experience supporting transformation programs involving platform/process consolidation and migration is advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in service design, strategic design, and Human-Centred Design (HCD) methodologies.

• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders through compelling, evidence-led storytelling and presentations.

• Strong stakeholder engagement and management skills, with the ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics.

• Practical proficiency in a toolkit encompassing research (quantitative and qualitative), synthesis, journey mapping, service blueprinting, and prototyping.

• Experience in designing, planning, and facilitating workshops for alignment and decision-making.

• Ability to translate complex, regulated problems into clear, actionable service designs.

• Experience working in complex environments with multi-channel experiences, legacy constraints, high change, and ambiguity.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the Financial Services industry or other highly regulated environments.

• Experience supporting transformation programs, specifically those involving platform and process consolidation and migration.

• Working knowledge of modern design and research tools such as Figma and UserTesting.com.

• Familiarity with data analysis techniques and reporting to support evidence-led design.

• Understanding of Agile methodologies and how design integrates into iterative development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "complex environments with multi channels, legacy constraints, high change and ambiguity" and "financial services or other highly regulated environments" points towards a need for candidates who can navigate intricate operational landscapes and regulatory frameworks. The mention of "platform / process consolidation and migration" directly relates to operational efficiency and transformation.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing impactful service design projects, demonstrating a clear progression from problem identification to solution implementation and measurable outcomes.

• Evidence of designing end-to-end customer and/or staff experiences, highlighting multi-channel considerations.

• Case studies that illustrate the application of Human-Centred Design (HCD) methodologies and the synthesis of both quantitative and qualitative research.

• Examples of service blueprints, journey maps, and prototypes that effectively communicate complex service interactions.

• Documentation of collaboration with cross-functional teams (including operations, technology, and risk/compliance) and how design outcomes were achieved.

• Demonstrations of influencing senior stakeholders and managing expectations through clear communication and evidence-based recommendations.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase how you document and communicate service design processes, including research synthesis, ideation, and prototyping phases.

• Provide examples of how you have translated design intent into detailed requirements for operational teams, ensuring clarity for implementation.

• Illustrate your approach to creating service blueprints and journey maps that clearly outline touchpoints, interactions, and back-end processes.

• Demonstrate how you measure the impact of service design interventions, linking them to customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, or business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Service Designer role, particularly in a transformation office, the portfolio is crucial. It needs to demonstrate not just design thinking but also the ability to operationalize designs. This means showing how designs are translated into actionable requirements for operational teams and how they integrate with existing systems and processes, especially in a regulated financial services environment.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Service Designer in Sydney, Australia, with 5-10 years of experience, particularly in a financial services or transformation context, the estimated annual salary range is AUD $140,000 - $190,000. This estimate considers the seniority of the role, the strategic impact of transformation initiatives, and the cost of living/salary benchmarks in Sydney for specialized design and operations-adjacent roles.

Benefits:

• Special offers on banking products.

• Discounts from top brands.

• Generous employee-only mortgage rates.

• Flexible work arrangements.

• Variety of leave options: Culture Leave, Lifestyle Leave, Wellbeing Leave.

• Tailored learning and development opportunities.

• Opportunities to contribute to the community through volunteering initiatives.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, reflecting a full-time contract position. While flexibility is offered, core hours will likely be aligned with business needs to facilitate cross-functional collaboration and project delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on industry standards for senior design roles in Sydney, Australia. The specific salary will depend on the candidate's experience, the duration of the fixed-term contract, and the precise scope of responsibilities. The benefits listed are directly from the job description and are typical for large corporate organizations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Westpac Group is one of Australia's "Big Four" banks, operating in a highly regulated and competitive market. This context means a strong emphasis on compliance, risk management, customer trust, and digital transformation.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (>10,000 employees). This indicates a complex organizational structure with established processes, significant resources, and opportunities for diverse career paths, but also potential for bureaucracy.

Founded: 1817. This long history signifies stability, deep-rooted customer relationships, and a significant role in Australia's economic landscape.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within the Chief Transformation Office, a dedicated unit focused on driving significant organizational change and strategic initiatives.

• The service designer will work within a cross-functional team environment, collaborating with peers from product management, technology development, operations, risk and compliance, and data analytics.

Methodology:

• The team heavily utilizes Human-Centred Design (HCD) as a core methodology for developing solutions.

• Emphasis on data-driven decision-making, using both quantitative and qualitative research to inform design strategies and validate concepts.

• Agile and iterative approaches are likely employed for project delivery, requiring close collaboration and continuous feedback loops.

• Strong focus on process optimization and workflow design to ensure seamless integration of new services into existing operational frameworks.

Company Website: https://www.westpac.com.au/

📝 Enhancement Note: The Chief Transformation Office context is key. This implies the role is part of a strategic initiative to modernize services, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer/staff experiences within a large, established financial institution. The "transformation" aspect suggests a dynamic, change-oriented environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role, focused on specialized design expertise within a transformation context. It requires a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on design execution, and strong influencing skills. The role is crucial for translating high-level transformation goals into practical, implementable service designs that impact operations.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Service Designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Transformation Program Manager within the Chief Transformation Office. They will collaborate extensively with Directors and senior managers across various departments (Product, Technology, Operations, Risk, Data).

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts operational efficiency and customer/staff experience by designing better service delivery processes. By ensuring that designed experiences are human-centered, feasible, and aligned with business objectives, the service designer contributes to the overall success of transformation programs, leading to improved customer satisfaction, reduced operational costs, and enhanced employee productivity.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of service design, such as digital service transformation, complex regulated environments, or strategic foresight.

• Leadership: Transition into a Design Lead or Managerial role, overseeing a team of designers and guiding design strategy for larger transformation initiatives.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Develop broader understanding and experience in product management, operational strategy, or program management through close collaboration.

• Industry Impact: Contribute to significant, large-scale transformations within the financial services sector, gaining valuable experience and recognition.

• Capability Uplift: Take on a mentoring role to coach junior designers and contribute to building design capabilities across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a path towards leadership or deep specialization. The connection to "transformation programs" and "operations" suggests opportunities to gain experience in large-scale change management and process re-engineering, which are highly valued operational skills.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This indicates a blend of remote work and in-office presence, allowing for flexibility while maintaining in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): Sydney, NSW, Australia. This is a major metropolitan hub, offering access to talent, resources, and a vibrant professional community.

Workspace Context:

• The environment is likely dynamic and fast-paced, characteristic of a transformation office, with a focus on project delivery and innovation.

• Expect a collaborative workspace that encourages interaction between designers, product managers, technologists, and operational stakeholders.

• Access to modern design and research tools (e.g., Figma, UserTesting) will be provided to facilitate effective design work.

• The role requires adaptability to work across various project streams and engage with diverse teams, fostering a stimulating and challenging work environment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) with flexibility. Given the project-driven nature of transformation, there may be periods requiring extended hours to meet critical deadlines, balanced by the flexibility offered. The hybrid model allows for some autonomy in structuring the work week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment is crucial for operations roles, balancing the need for focused analytical work with collaborative problem-solving. The dynamic nature of a "Transformation Office" suggests a culture of agility and continuous improvement, aligning well with operations principles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, focusing on relevant experience and qualifications.

• Portfolio Review: You will be asked to present your portfolio, showcasing specific projects that demonstrate your service design expertise, HCD application, and impact in complex environments. Be prepared to walk through your process, research, insights, design decisions, and outcomes.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to assess your fit with the team, understanding of the role, and strategic thinking.

• Cross-functional Interview(s): Interviews with potential collaborators from Product, Technology, or Operations teams to evaluate your ability to work in cross-functional settings and understand operational constraints.

• Case Study/Workshop Exercise: You may be given a design challenge or asked to facilitate a mini-workshop to assess your practical skills, problem-solving abilities, and approach to influencing stakeholders in real-time.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader in the Chief Transformation Office for final approval.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-4 of your most impactful projects that best represent your skills for this specific role (complex environments, transformation, HCD, cross-functional collaboration).

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, prototyping, testing, implementation), the insights you uncovered, the solutions you designed, and the measurable outcomes or impact achieved.

• Highlight Operational Integration: Specifically showcase how your designs considered and integrated with operational processes, technology constraints, and risk/compliance requirements.

• Demonstrate Influence: Provide examples of how you presented your work, influenced stakeholders, and managed expectations to drive adoption.

• Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your experience with tools like Figma and UserTesting.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved customer satisfaction scores, reduced process times, increased adoption rates).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research Westpac Group's current transformation initiatives, their customer segments, and the regulatory landscape for Australian financial services.

• Practice HCD: Be ready to articulate your HCD process and how you would approach a given problem using HCD principles.

• Workshop Facilitation: Prepare for a scenario where you might need to facilitate a discussion or workshop. Think about how you would set objectives, engage participants, manage different viewpoints, and drive towards decisions.

• Stakeholder Management: Prepare examples of how you have managed difficult stakeholders or navigated conflicting priorities in past projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio and potential case study or workshop exercise is standard for senior design roles. For this specific role, preparation should focus on demonstrating how design thinking translates into tangible, implementable solutions within a complex, regulated operational environment like a bank.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (explicitly mentioned). This is a collaborative interface design tool used for creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs.

• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com (explicitly mentioned). A platform for conducting remote usability testing and gathering user feedback.

• Collaboration & Documentation: While not explicitly stated, expect to use tools like Confluence, Jira, Miro, or similar platforms for project management, documentation, and collaborative ideation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Synthesis: Proficiency in interpreting data from qualitative and quantitative research is key. Expect to work with insights generated from various analytics platforms.

• Reporting Tools: While not specified, understanding how to present findings and design impact using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or even advanced Excel functionalities might be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Understanding of Systems: While not directly using CRM or automation tools for design, a Senior Service Designer needs to understand how their designs will integrate with and impact existing CRM systems, workflow automation, and backend processes within the bank. Familiarity with enterprise-level systems is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and UserTesting.com indicates a need for hands-on proficiency. Beyond these, understanding the broader tech ecosystem of a large financial institution, including CRM, workflow automation, and data platforms, is crucial for designing implementable solutions.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A core value in financial services, ensuring all designs prioritize customer needs and improve their banking experience.

• Integrity & Trust: Paramount in banking, influencing design decisions to ensure transparency, security, and ethical practices.

• Innovation & Transformation: Embracing change and driving new ways of working to improve services and stay competitive.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across diverse teams (product, tech, operations, risk) to achieve shared goals.

• Efficiency & Effectiveness: Designing solutions that streamline processes, reduce waste, and deliver tangible results for both customers and the business.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: A highly collaborative style is expected, with designers working hand-in-hand with product managers, engineers, operational staff, and risk/compliance officers.

• Co-creation and Facilitation: The role involves actively facilitating workshops and co-creation sessions to bring diverse perspectives together and drive towards unified solutions.

• Constructive Feedback: An environment where feedback is welcomed and used to refine designs and processes, fostering continuous improvement.

• Influence and Partnership: Building strong working relationships based on trust and mutual respect, enabling effective influence and partnership across departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values of Integrity, Trust, and Compliance are non-negotiable in the financial services sector and will heavily influence design considerations. The emphasis on collaboration and co-creation aligns with the needs of a transformation office working on complex problems.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complexity: Adapting designs to intricate, multi-channel, and legacy systems within a highly regulated financial institution.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Managing diverse and sometimes conflicting requirements from various senior stakeholders, including those from risk, compliance, and business units.

• Driving Change: Influencing adoption of new service designs and HCD methodologies within a large, established organization that may have ingrained processes.

• Measuring Impact: Clearly demonstrating the ROI and tangible benefits of service design interventions in a complex environment with long implementation cycles.

• Fixed-Term Contract Pressure: Delivering significant impact and clear outcomes within a defined contract period.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Financial Services: Gain in-depth knowledge of banking operations, regulatory frameworks, and customer needs within the Australian financial sector.

• Transformation Program Exposure: Participate in large-scale, impactful transformation initiatives that shape the future of a major bank.

• Advanced HCD Application: Refine skills in applying HCD to complex, enterprise-level challenges.

• Strategic Influence: Develop advanced skills in stakeholder management, executive communication, and influencing strategic decision-making.

• Mentorship: Potential to learn from experienced leaders within the Chief Transformation Office and the broader design community at Westpac.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for resilience, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to influence change. The growth opportunities are significant for someone looking to gain experience in large-scale transformation within a critical industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a service experience for a complex, regulated environment. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on HCD, research, stakeholder management, and operational considerations).

• "How would you approach designing a new digital banking feature for customers who are hesitant to use technology?" (Assess your HCD process, user empathy, and ability to translate insights into practical design solutions).

• "Imagine you need to influence a senior executive who is skeptical about the value of service design. How would you present your case and gain their buy-in?" (Focus on storytelling, evidence-led narratives, and demonstrating ROI).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Westpac's current transformation efforts, and how do you see service design playing a role?" (Show your research and strategic thinking).

• "How do you ensure that your designs are not only user-friendly but also operationally feasible and compliant with regulations?" (Assess your understanding of operational constraints and the banking environment).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate: The Problem, Your Role & Responsibilities, The Process (Research, Ideation, Design, Testing), Key Insights, The Solution, and The Impact/Outcomes.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Detail how you worked with product, tech, and especially operations teams to ensure feasibility and alignment.

• Showcase HCD: Clearly explain how HCD principles guided your process and decisions.

• Quantify Results: Use metrics (e.g., improvement in NPS, reduction in call center volume, increase in task completion rate) to demonstrate the impact of your work.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, research methodologies, and how you handled challenges or disagreements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation emphasizes demonstrating practical application of HCD, strategic thinking, and the ability to integrate design with operational realities, crucial for this role in a financial institution.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Oracle Cloud portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in service design, Human-Centred Design, transformation projects, and working within complex, regulated industries. Use keywords from the job description, such as "service blueprinting," "journey mapping," "stakeholder engagement," and "cross-functional collaboration."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 of your most relevant projects that showcase your ability to design end-to-end experiences, particularly in financial services or similar regulated environments. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your process, research synthesis, and the impact of your designs on user and business outcomes.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your project stories, focusing on how you collaborated with operations, technology, and risk/compliance teams, and how your designs addressed specific operational challenges or efficiencies. Be ready to discuss specific tools like Figma and UserTesting.com.

• Research Westpac Group: Understand their business, customer base, and recent transformation initiatives. Familiarize yourself with the Australian financial services landscape and its regulatory context to better align your responses with the company's strategic goals.

⚠️ 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.