Senior Service Designer Senior Service Designer
📍 Job Overview
Job Title: Senior Service Designer Company: Nestle Operational Services Worldwide SA Location: Esplugues de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time Category: Digital & Tech / Service Design Date Posted: 2025-08-20 Experience Level: 8+ Years (with AI-derived 10+ years for seniority) Remote Status: Hybrid
🚀 Role Summary
- Spearhead the design and optimization of complex, end-to-end service experiences across digital and physical touchpoints for Nespresso's B2C and B2B channels.
- Drive user-centered design initiatives by leveraging a deep understanding of user needs, pain points, and business objectives to enhance customer satisfaction and engagement.
- Lead and mentor junior service designers and researchers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and design thinking within the Digital Experience team.
- Collaborate with diverse cross-functional teams, including Product, Technology, and Marketing, to integrate service design principles into overarching business and product strategies.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role of Senior Service Designer at Nespresso HQ in Barcelona is positioned as a pivotal player within the Digital Experience team, focusing on enhancing both customer and operational journeys. The "Senior" designation, combined with the 8+ years of required experience and the emphasis on leadership and mentorship, indicates a strategic role with significant influence on service innovation and delivery within the organization. The target audience for this role would be experienced service designers who can demonstrate a strong track record of driving impactful, human-centered design solutions in complex environments.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
- Develop and refine customer journey maps, service blueprints, and experience frameworks to identify opportunities for improvement and enhance user engagement.
- Conduct comprehensive qualitative and quantitative user research to uncover deep user insights, identify pain points, and inform strategic service enhancements.
- Translate research findings into actionable business opportunities, advocating for human-centered design principles across product and business strategies.
- Lead the design and implementation of seamless, end-to-end service experiences, ensuring consistency and excellence across all digital and physical touchpoints.
- Collaborate effectively with product, technology, marketing, and business stakeholders to ensure service design initiatives are aligned with business goals and deliver measurable impact.
- Define, track, and analyze key service experience metrics (e.g., NPS, CSAT, usability scores) to evaluate the effectiveness of service initiatives and drive continuous optimization.
- Mentor and guide junior service designers and researchers, fostering critical thinking, design thinking adoption, and advanced data analysis skills within the team.
- Champion innovation by staying abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in service design, promoting accessibility, and inclusive design principles.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design execution, user advocacy, and team leadership. The emphasis on "end-to-end service experiences" and "operational efficiencies" suggests a focus on not just the front-end customer interaction but also the back-end processes that support service delivery, which is crucial for a "Senior" role in operations-adjacent functions. The mention of "B2C & B2B spectrums" indicates a need to understand diverse user needs and business models within the Nespresso ecosystem.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Business, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
Experience:
- A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in service design, UX design, experience strategy, or a closely related field, with a proven track record of delivering impactful service improvements.
- Demonstrated experience in leading complex programs, projects, and teams, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
- Experience working within Agile development environments and collaborating effectively with cross-functional, diverse teams.
Required Skills:
- Expertise in core service design methodologies, including service blueprinting, customer journey mapping, user flow design, and persona development.
- Proficiency in design thinking principles and frameworks, with the ability to facilitate ideation, synthesis, and co-creation workshops.
- Strong user research capabilities, including planning, conducting, analyzing, and synthesizing qualitative (e.g., interviews, usability testing) and quantitative data.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Business) and influence stakeholders at various levels.
- Excellent leadership and mentoring skills, with experience guiding junior designers and fostering a team culture of continuous learning and critical thinking.
- Proficiency in industry-standard design and collaboration tools such as Miro, Figma, Figjam, and similar platforms for ideation, prototyping, and documentation.
- Familiarity with project management and collaboration software, including Jira and Confluence, for workflow tracking and knowledge management.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret user feedback and performance data to drive strategic decisions.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas and research findings to diverse audiences.
Preferred Skills:
- Previous experience working within the Food & Beverage or Luxury Brand sectors, understanding of their unique customer expectations and operational nuances.
- Experience designing for both B2B and B2C service environments, as well as omnichannel service delivery models.
- Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive design principles to ensure services are usable by all.
- Experience in defining and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) related to service experience and operational efficiency.
📝 Enhancement Note: The AI-derived experience level of "10+" is inferred from the "Senior" title and the breadth of responsibilities, suggesting a need for substantial strategic and leadership experience beyond the stated minimum of 8 years. The emphasis on "operational efficiencies" and "stakeholder engagement" further positions this as a role requiring business acumen alongside design expertise.
📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Demonstrate a strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end service design projects, detailing your specific role and contributions.
- Include examples of customer journey maps, service blueprints, and user research reports that illustrate your process and insights.
- Present case studies that highlight how your design interventions led to improved user engagement, satisfaction, and business outcomes.
- Showcase your ability to translate complex user needs and business requirements into tangible service solutions, with a focus on measurable impact.
- Provide evidence of leading design initiatives, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and influencing stakeholders to adopt user-centered approaches.
Process Documentation:
- Exhibit clear documentation of design processes, from initial research and ideation through to implementation and iteration.
- Detail your approach to facilitating workshops, co-creation sessions, and stakeholder reviews to ensure alignment and buy-in.
- Include examples of how you have defined and tracked service experience metrics, demonstrating a commitment to data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Showcase your methods for integrating user feedback and performance data into iterative design cycles to optimize service delivery.
📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Service Designer role, a portfolio is critical. It should not only display visual design skills but also the strategic thinking, research rigor, and process management capabilities required to drive complex service improvements. The expectation is for a candidate to articulate the "why" and "how" behind their design decisions, linking them directly to business objectives and user needs.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range:
- Estimated Range: €60,000 - €85,000 per annum.
📝 Enhancement Note: This salary range is an estimate based on market data for Senior Service Designer roles in the Barcelona metropolitan area, factoring in the company's industry (luxury consumer goods/tech), the seniority of the position (8+ years experience, leadership responsibilities), and the hybrid work model. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and negotiation.
Benefits:
- Competitive Salary: A competitive base salary commensurate with experience and market standards.
- Comprehensive Social Benefits Package: Access to a robust suite of social benefits.
- Pension Plan: One of the most competitive pension plans available in the market.
- Flexible Remuneration: Options for flexible compensation with tax advantages, potentially including:
- Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical coverage.
- Restaurant Card: For meal expenses.
- Mobility Plan: Support for commute and transportation.
- Personal and Professional Growth: Opportunities for continuous learning through ongoing training programs and development initiatives.
- Career Opportunities: Clear pathways for career advancement and internal mobility within the organization.
- Hybrid Working Environment: A flexible hybrid work model allowing for a balance between office collaboration and remote work.
- State-of-the-Art Campus: Access to a modern, well-equipped campus featuring amenities like a medical center, canteen, and collaborative spaces designed for networking and relaxation.
- Recreation Activities: On-site activities such as yoga, Zumba, and other wellness programs.
- Volunteering Activities: Opportunities to participate in company-sponsored volunteering initiatives.
Working Hours:
- The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, with a flexible working scheme to accommodate the hybrid work arrangement and promote work-life balance.
📝 Enhancement Note: The listed benefits are extensive and align with a large, established multinational corporation like Nestlé. The emphasis on flexible remuneration and professional growth is particularly attractive for experienced professionals seeking long-term career development and a supportive work environment.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
Industry: Food & Beverage / Luxury Consumer Goods / E-commerce & Digital Services Company Size: Large Enterprise (Nestlé is a global leader with over 300,000 employees worldwide; Nespresso as a division is significant, and the Barcelona digital hub likely employs hundreds, if not thousands). Founded: Nespresso was founded in 1986. Nestlé itself was founded in 1866. The Barcelona digital hub was established in 2019.
Team Structure:
- The Senior Service Designer will be part of the Digital Experience team within the Nespresso Digital and Tech division in Barcelona.
- This team likely operates with a matrixed reporting structure, collaborating closely with product managers, UX researchers, UX/UI designers, engineers, marketing specialists, and business stakeholders.
- The role involves leading and mentoring junior service designers and researchers, indicating a hierarchical element within the design function itself.
- Expect close collaboration with various business units (B2C, B2B) and potentially external agencies or partners.
Methodology:
- The team likely employs a mix of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) for product development and delivery.
- Design thinking, user-centered design, and human-centered design are core principles guiding their approach to service and product innovation.
- Emphasis is placed on data analysis, leveraging insights from user research, customer feedback, and performance metrics to inform strategic decisions and iterative improvements.
- Continuous learning and adoption of emerging technologies and design best practices are encouraged.
Company Website: https://www.nestle.com/ | https://www.nespresso.com/
📝 Enhancement Note: Nestlé's commitment to sustainability ("carbon neutrality," "net-zero GHG emissions by 2050") and its focus on employee well-being and diversity are key cultural indicators. The establishment of a digital hub in Barcelona signifies a strategic investment in digital transformation and customer experience.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: This is a Senior individual contributor role within the Digital Experience function, with potential for team leadership and mentorship. It sits at the intersection of user experience and operational efficiency, influencing how services are designed, delivered, and perceived.
Reporting Structure: The Senior Service Designer will likely report to a Head of Digital Experience, a Director of UX, or a similar senior leadership role within the Nespresso Digital Hub's technology and product organization. They will also collaborate extensively with product managers and business unit leaders.
Operations Impact: This role directly impacts operational efficiency by designing streamlined service processes that reduce friction for both customers and internal teams. By improving customer journeys and identifying pain points, the Senior Service Designer contributes to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and potentially revenue growth, while also optimizing resource utilization and operational costs.
Growth Opportunities:
- Leadership Progression: Potential to move into a Lead Service Designer, Design Manager, or Head of UX/Design role, managing larger teams and broader strategic initiatives.
- Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like B2B service design, omnichannel strategy, or leading user research functions.
- Cross-Functional Mobility: Potential to transition into Product Management, Experience Strategy, or even operational leadership roles within Nespresso or Nestlé, leveraging their deep understanding of customer and operational processes.
- Skill Development: Continuous learning through training, workshops, conferences, and exposure to global best practices within the Nestlé organization.
📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title, coupled with mentorship responsibilities and the strategic nature of service design, suggests a clear growth path within the organization, either in design leadership or broader product/business strategy roles.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: The role is based at the Nespresso Hub in Barcelona, described as a "state-of-the-art campus." This implies a modern, well-equipped office environment designed for collaboration and employee well-being.
Office Location(s): Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. This is a suburban location accessible to the city center.
Workspace Context:
- The workspace is likely designed to foster collaboration, with open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and dedicated spaces for brainstorming and co-creation.
- Employees will have access to the latest design and collaboration tools (Miro, Figma, etc.), as well as standard office technology.
- The environment is described as "dog friendly," suggesting a relaxed and inclusive atmosphere.
- Opportunities for interaction with a diverse, international team are abundant, facilitating knowledge sharing and cross-functional teamwork.
Work Schedule: A hybrid work schedule is in place, offering flexibility. While specific days in the office may vary, the expectation is a balance between remote work and in-person collaboration to leverage the benefits of both.
📝 Enhancement Note: The description of the campus as "state-of-the-art" and the inclusion of amenities like a medical center and recreation areas point towards a company culture that invests significantly in employee experience and well-being, which is attractive for attracting and retaining senior talent.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
- Application Submission: Candidates submit their CV (in English) and likely a portfolio link.
- Talent Acquisition Screening: Initial review by the TA team to assess qualifications and cultural fit.
- Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on experience, technical skills, approach to service design, and leadership capabilities. This stage may involve a deeper dive into portfolio examples.
- Stakeholder Interview: Interviews with key cross-functional partners (e.g., Product Managers, Marketing leads) to evaluate collaboration skills, influence, and understanding of business objectives.
- Feedback: Provision of feedback to candidates after the interview stages.
- Job Offer: Formal offer extended to the selected candidate.
- Onboarding: Structured onboarding process to integrate the new employee into the team and company.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Curate Selectively: Choose 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end service design process, impact, and senior-level capabilities.
- Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role and contributions, the methodologies used (research, blueprinting, prototyping), the challenges faced, and the measurable business and user outcomes achieved. Quantify results wherever possible (e.g., improved NPS by X%, reduced support tickets by Y%).
- Showcase Process Maturity: Highlight your ability to manage complex projects, lead stakeholders, mentor junior team members, and navigate ambiguity. Demonstrate how you use data and insights to drive decisions.
- Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio presentations like a compelling narrative, guiding the reviewer through your thought process and design journey.
- Tailor to Nespresso: If possible, subtly tailor your examples or commentary to reflect an understanding of the luxury consumer goods or digital service space, or the challenges Nespresso might face.
Challenge Preparation:
- While not explicitly mentioned, expect potential scenario-based questions or a small design challenge during the interview process.
- Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a specific service design problem for Nespresso, or critique an existing Nespresso service from a design perspective.
- Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and concisely, focusing on user needs, business goals, and operational feasibility.
- Be ready to discuss your leadership and mentoring style, providing examples of how you've guided and developed other designers.
📝 Enhancement Note: The multi-stage interview process and the emphasis on English as the work language for an international team are standard for global organizations. The portfolio is the most critical element for a design role, so candidates must invest significant time in its preparation and presentation.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
- Design & Prototyping: Figma, Figjam (essential for collaborative design, wireframing, prototyping, and ideation).
- Collaboration & Whiteboarding: Miro (crucial for service blueprinting, journey mapping, brainstorming, and remote co-creation).
- Project Management & Documentation: Jira, Confluence (standard tools for agile workflows, task tracking, and knowledge management).
Analytics & Reporting:
- While specific tools aren't listed, expect to work with data from:
- Web Analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) for digital behavior.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems (e.g., Salesforce, or Nespresso's internal systems) for customer data.
- Customer feedback platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Medallia) for NPS, CSAT, and qualitative feedback.
- Business Intelligence (BI) tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for data visualization and reporting on service KPIs.
CRM & Automation:
- Familiarity with CRM systems for understanding customer data and journey touchpoints is beneficial.
- Understanding of marketing automation platforms or customer service platforms that support service delivery could be advantageous.
📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and Miro is explicitly required, highlighting their central role in the team's workflow. The ability to interpret data from various analytics and CRM systems is also key to informing design decisions and measuring impact.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
- User-Centricity: A fundamental commitment to understanding and prioritizing user needs and experiences in all design decisions.
- Excellence & Quality: Striving for high standards in service design, delivery, and customer satisfaction, reflecting the luxury nature of the Nespresso brand.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: Valuing cross-functional partnerships and collective problem-solving to achieve shared goals.
- Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Encouraging new ideas, embracing change, and consistently seeking ways to enhance services and processes.
- Efficiency & Impact: A focus on designing services that are not only user-friendly but also operationally efficient and drive measurable business results.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing insights from research and analytics to inform design strategies and measure their effectiveness.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work closely with product managers, engineers, marketers, and business stakeholders to create holistic solutions.
- Open Communication: A culture that encourages open dialogue, constructive feedback, and transparency across teams.
- Agile & Iterative: Working in agile sprints, with regular check-ins, feedback loops, and a willingness to adapt designs based on learnings.
- Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A supportive environment where senior members actively mentor junior colleagues, and knowledge is shared freely to elevate the team's collective expertise.
📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "people are our most important asset" and fostering "diversity, inclusion and belonging" suggests a progressive and people-focused company culture. The desire for candidates to "own a piece of the action" and "make it count" indicates an expectation of proactive ownership and contribution.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
- Balancing User Needs with Business Objectives: Effectively navigating the complexities of aligning diverse stakeholder interests and business goals with user-centric design principles.
- Optimizing Complex Service Ecosystems: Designing cohesive and efficient experiences across multiple digital and physical touchpoints for both B2C and B2B customers.
- Driving Change in a Large Organization: Influencing stakeholders and implementing new design approaches or service innovations within a large, established company structure.
- Staying Ahead of Trends: Keeping pace with rapidly evolving digital technologies, consumer expectations, and best practices in service design within the luxury and F&B sectors.
- Mentoring and Developing Talent: Effectively guiding and developing a team of service designers and researchers while managing personal project responsibilities.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Access to Nestlé's Global Network: Opportunities to learn from and collaborate with design and tech professionals across Nestlé's diverse global operations.
- Industry Conferences & Training: Potential support for attending relevant service design, UX, and digital transformation conferences and workshops.
- Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like advanced user research techniques, strategic foresight, or specific industry domains (luxury, F&B).
- Leadership Development: Formal or informal training programs focused on leadership, team management, and strategic influence.
- Exposure to Innovation: Working on cutting-edge digital initiatives for a globally recognized brand provides continuous learning and exposure to new technologies and methodologies.
📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a large corporation, emphasizing the need for strong influencing, strategic thinking, and change management skills. The growth opportunities highlight Nestlé's commitment to employee development and the potential for significant career advancement.
💡 Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
- Operations Strategy: "How would you approach redesigning the Nespresso subscription renewal process to improve customer retention and operational efficiency?" or "Describe a time you used service design to optimize an operational workflow. What was the outcome?" Prepare to discuss your framework for identifying operational bottlenecks through a service design lens.
- Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "Imagine a scenario where the marketing team wants to launch a new campaign that conflicts with the established customer journey. How would you collaborate with them to find a resolution?" or "Tell me about a time you had to influence a senior stakeholder who was resistant to a user-centered approach. How did you manage it?" Focus on active listening, empathy, and data-driven persuasion.
- Problem-Solving: "Nespresso customers occasionally report issues with delivery tracking. How would you investigate this problem using service design methodologies, and what potential solutions might you explore for both the customer and the internal operations team?" Be ready to walk through your thought process, research plan, and potential solutions, considering both user experience and operational feasibility.
Company & Culture Questions:
- Company Operations: Research Nespresso's current service offerings, their digital presence (website, app), and any recent initiatives or challenges they've faced. Understand their brand positioning in the luxury market. Think about how service design can support their sustainability goals.
- Team Dynamics: Prepare to discuss your preferred working style within a team, how you contribute to a positive team culture, and your experience mentoring junior colleagues. Be ready to share examples of successful cross-functional collaborations.
- Operations Impact Measurement: "How do you measure the success of a service design initiative, particularly when it impacts operational efficiency?" Be prepared to discuss KPIs like NPS, CSAT, task completion rates, error rates, operational cost savings, and employee satisfaction.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Structure is Key: For each project, use a clear narrative: Problem Statement -> Your Role & Process -> Key Research Insights -> Design Solutions (Blueprints, Journeys) -> Implementation Challenges -> Measurable Impact (User & Business/Operational).
- Highlight Seniority: Emphasize your leadership in the project, your strategic thinking, your ability to influence, and any mentorship you provided.
- Showcase Tools: Briefly mention the tools used (Figma, Miro) and how they facilitated your work.
- Be Concise but Thorough: Aim for 5-7 minutes per project presentation, allowing time for Q&A. Be prepared to dive deeper into specific aspects if asked.
- Connect to Nespresso: Where relevant, draw parallels between your project experiences and the potential challenges or opportunities at Nespresso.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not just design skills but also strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit within a large, global organization. Candidates should thoroughly prepare their portfolio and practice articulating their experience in a clear, impactful way.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this Senior Service Designer position:
- Submit your application through the provided link on the Nestle job portal. Ensure your CV is updated and in English, as the hiring team is international.
- Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to highlight 3-5 of your most impactful service design projects that demonstrate end-to-end process, leadership, and measurable outcomes, particularly those relevant to customer experience and operational efficiency.
- Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize keywords related to service design, UX, design thinking, user research, journey mapping, service blueprinting, stakeholder management, and leadership. Quantify achievements whenever possible.
- Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your project experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), focusing on your strategic contributions and impact. Prepare specific examples for potential interview questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and mentoring.
- Company Research: Thoroughly research Nespresso's brand, products, digital services, and any recent news or strategic initiatives. Familiarize yourself with their commitment to sustainability and luxury positioning. Understand the context of the Barcelona Digital Hub.
⚠️ 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.
Application Requirements
Candidates should have a minimum of 8 years of experience in service design or related fields, with expertise in service blueprinting and design thinking methodologies. Strong experience in user research and the ability to lead cross-functional teams are essential.