Service Designer (12-Month FTC)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer (12-Month FTC) Company: Lloyds Banking Group Location: Halifax or Manchester, United Kingdom Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Service Design & Customer Experience Operations Date Posted: 2026-01-12 Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on crafting human-centered, end-to-end customer experiences within the Homes Experience Design team, leveraging Service Design principles to transform customer journeys.
• You will act as a key advocate for Service Design practices, collaborating with agile teams to visualize outcomes, define scope, and shape strategic initiatives based on customer and market insights.
• The position requires active participation in workshops, stakeholder management, and the documentation of current and future state services to ensure well-informed decision-making.
• A significant aspect of the role involves embedding design principles across various product, service, and customer journey initiatives by sharing knowledge and fostering a strong design community.
• This is a 12-month fixed-term contract, offering a hybrid working arrangement with a requirement to spend at least 40% of time in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Service Designer," the responsibilities and company context strongly suggest a role within operations, specifically focused on the customer experience (CX) and service delivery lifecycle. The emphasis on "seamless digital experiences," "customer journeys," and "transforming moments" aligns with operations' goal of optimizing service delivery and customer satisfaction. The role requires a blend of design thinking and operational execution to improve service efficiency and customer advocacy.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate effectively within agile teams to uncover priorities, visualize desired outcomes, and clearly define project scope for service enhancements.
• Shape strategic initiatives by integrating colleague, customer, and market insights to inform the creation and improvement of propositions and services.
• Actively participate in workshops and stakeholder discussions, ensuring a thorough understanding of business context, needs, and risks to support informed decision-making.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and incorporate diverse perspectives through clear and consistent communication when defining service solutions.
• Support comprehensive research efforts and meticulously document both current and future state services to identify areas for optimization and innovation.
• Make sound design decisions, championing the user perspective while critically evaluating and challenging existing constraints.
• Proactively own and manage personal development, seeking opportunities to expand expertise in Service Design and related operational improvement methodologies.
• Foster close collaboration with other designers, product owners, and engineers to ensure cohesive and effective service delivery.
• Contribute actively to the broader design community, sharing knowledge, generating new ideas, and embedding design principles across a range of product, service, and customer journey initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: These responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design thinking and operational execution. The focus on "shaping strategic initiatives," "documenting current and future state services," and "embedding design principles" points to a role that influences how services are designed, delivered, and improved from an operational standpoint. The requirement to manage stakeholders and incorporate diverse perspectives is crucial for successful cross-functional operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Business, or a related field is highly beneficial for understanding user behavior and service design principles.

Experience: Proven experience in Service Design, UX/UI Design, or a related customer experience role, with a strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end service design projects. Experience within a large, complex organization, particularly in financial services, is advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated proficiency in Service Design methodologies and frameworks.
• Strong experience in user research, journey mapping, and persona development to inform service design.
• Proven ability to work effectively within agile and cross-functional teams, contributing to sprint planning and execution.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience in research and design thinking methods, including workshop facilitation and ideation.
• A proactive, driven, and innovative approach to problem-solving, with the ability to challenge constructively.
• Ability to manage expectations and incorporate multiple perspectives in solution definition.
• Resilience and calmness under pressure, with the capacity to identify and respond to emerging priorities and risks.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the financial services industry or a highly regulated environment.
• Familiarity with design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar.
• Understanding of digital transformation initiatives and their impact on service delivery.
• Experience in documenting and optimizing operational workflows and service blueprints.
• A strong advocate for customer advocacy and building user loyalty through exceptional service experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a strong foundation in design thinking and user-centric approaches, which are critical for improving service operations. The preference for experience in financial services and digital transformation suggests the role will involve navigating complex systems and regulatory environments to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end service design projects, demonstrating a clear understanding of problem definition, user research, ideation, prototyping, and implementation.
• Case studies that highlight how you have translated user insights into tangible service improvements, detailing the impact on customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Examples of service blueprints, journey maps, and other visualization tools used to map current and future state services and identify key touchpoints.
• Evidence of collaboration with cross-functional teams (e.g., product owners, engineers, business analysts) to bring service designs to life.
• Demonstrations of how you have advocated for user needs and influenced strategic decisions within project lifecycles.

Process Documentation:

• Experience in documenting current state services, including user flows, interaction models, and operational touchpoints.
• Ability to create future state service designs and detailed service blueprints that outline proposed improvements and operational requirements.
• Skills in developing clear and concise documentation that supports the implementation of new or enhanced services, ensuring alignment across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Service Designer role, a robust portfolio is paramount. It should not only showcase design skills but also the ability to translate those designs into operational reality, which is key for this role's contribution to the business's transformation program. The emphasis on service blueprints and journey maps directly relates to understanding and optimizing operational processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £59,850 - £66,500 GBP per annum Benefits:

• Generous pension contribution of up to 15%.
• Annual performance-related bonus scheme.
• Share schemes, including free shares.
• Benefits adaptable to lifestyle, such as discounted shopping.
• 30 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays.
• A range of wellbeing initiatives.
• Generous parental leave policies.

Working Hours: Full-Time, approximately 40 hours per week. This is a hybrid role, requiring at least two days per week (or 40% of time) in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a mid-level Service Designer role in the UK financial services sector. The comprehensive benefits package reflects Lloyds Banking Group's commitment to employee well-being and long-term engagement, which is attractive for candidates seeking stable, impactful roles within operations-adjacent functions. The explicit mention of hybrid working and office days is important for candidates to assess their preferred work environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Lloyds Banking Group is the UK's leading bank, serving millions of customers and playing a significant role in the UK economy.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (over 10,000 employees). This implies a structured environment with established processes, a broad range of career opportunities, and potential for significant impact.

Founded: 2009 (merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS). The company has a long heritage and is undergoing significant digital transformation.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the Homes Experience Design team, which focuses on end-to-end customer experiences for Homes customers across physical and digital channels.
• This team likely consists of various design disciplines (Service Designers, UX/UI Designers, Researchers) working closely with Product Owners, Engineers, and business stakeholders.
• Collaboration is key, with an emphasis on embedding design principles across the organization.

Methodology:

• The team operates within an agile framework, emphasizing iterative development and continuous improvement.
• A human-centered approach is core, with empathy and user insight driving design decisions.
• The company is undergoing an ambitious transformation program with a multi-channel approach to banking, indicating a focus on modernizing services and customer interactions.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Lloyds Banking Group's position as a major financial institution undergoing digital transformation means that roles like this Service Designer are integral to modernizing operations and customer interactions. The emphasis on "agile," "human-centered," and "transformation" suggests a dynamic environment where operational improvements are driven by user needs and technological advancements.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Service Designer. This role is positioned to contribute to strategic initiatives and influence design practices, bridging the gap between user needs and operational feasibility. It requires a solid understanding of design principles and the ability to apply them within a corporate structure.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer will likely report to a Head of Design, Lead Service Designer, or a Design Manager within the Homes Experience Design team. Collaboration will extend to Product Owners, Project Managers, and various business units across the Group.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts customer satisfaction and advocacy by improving the usability and effectiveness of banking services. By creating seamless digital and physical experiences, the Service Designer helps streamline customer interactions, reduce friction, and enhance the overall efficiency of service delivery, contributing to business goals like customer retention and digital adoption.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of Service Design, such as financial services customer journeys, digital transformation, or inclusive design.
• Leadership: Progress to a Senior Service Designer or Lead Service Designer role, taking on more complex projects and mentoring junior designers.
• Cross-Functional Movement: Transition into related operational roles, such as CX Strategy, Product Management, or Business Analysis, leveraging design thinking skills to drive operational improvements.
• Skill Development: Continuous learning through internal workshops, external training, and by contributing to the design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential within a large organization. The "Operations Impact" section is crucial, linking the design work directly to tangible operational improvements and business outcomes. The growth opportunities highlight pathways not just within design but also into broader operational leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid working model, requiring a minimum of two days per week in the office. This suggests a blend of focused individual work and collaborative team interaction.

Office Location(s): Halifax or Manchester, United Kingdom. The role also involves regular travel to Halifax (once a week) and occasional travel to London and other UK offices.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is designed to foster collaboration, with spaces for workshops, team meetings, and individual work.
• Access to relevant design and collaboration tools will be provided.
• Opportunities for interaction with a diverse range of colleagues, including designers, product teams, and business stakeholders, will be frequent.

Work Schedule: Full-time (approx. 40 hours/week). The hybrid model offers flexibility, allowing for a balance between office-based collaboration and remote work. Travel is a component of the role, requiring adaptability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and travel requirements are key aspects of the work environment. For operations-focused roles, this balance often allows for focused analytical work at home and collaborative problem-solving or strategic planning in the office. The travel indicates a need for flexibility and strong time management skills.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess suitability for the role and required skill set.
• First Interview: Typically with a hiring manager or senior team member, focusing on your experience, approach to Service Design, and understanding of customer-centric methodologies. This may include behavioral questions.
• Portfolio Presentation/Workshop: You may be asked to present a case study from your portfolio, detailing a specific project, your process, challenges, and outcomes. Alternatively, a practical design exercise or workshop might be conducted.
• Final Interview: Potentially with more senior stakeholders, focusing on strategic thinking, cultural fit, and how you would contribute to the team and the wider organization's goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end Service Design process, impact, and collaboration skills, particularly those relevant to financial services or digital transformation.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role, the methodologies used, key insights gathered, design decisions made, challenges overcome, and quantifiable or qualitative outcomes.
• Showcase Process: Visually represent your process – journey maps, service blueprints, user flows, personas, wireframes, prototypes – and explain the rationale behind your choices.
• Highlight Collaboration: Detail how you worked with cross-functional teams and stakeholders, and how you managed feedback and differing perspectives.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, present metrics demonstrating the success of your design solutions (e.g., improved customer satisfaction scores, reduced service time, increased conversion rates).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business: Research Lloyds Banking Group's strategic objectives, particularly their transformation program, focus on customer experience, and the financial services landscape.
• Service Design Principles: Be prepared to discuss your understanding of Service Design, Design Thinking, agile methodologies, and user-centered design principles.
• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Think about how you would approach common service design challenges, such as improving a specific customer journey, integrating new technologies, or addressing customer pain points.
• Behavioral Questions: Prepare examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, stakeholder management, and handling pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design exercise highlights the practical, execution-oriented nature of this role within operations. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just theoretical knowledge but also a proven ability to apply Service Design principles to achieve tangible operational improvements and enhance customer journeys.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or InVision for creating wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and interactive designs.
• Service Blueprinting & Journey Mapping Tools: Familiarity with specialized software or methods for creating detailed service blueprints and customer journey maps (e.g., Miro, Mural, Lucidchart, or custom templates).
• Collaboration Platforms: Experience with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence for team communication, project management, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary analytics role, an understanding of how to interpret customer feedback, usage data, and operational metrics (e.g., NPS, CSAT, task completion rates) to inform design decisions is beneficial.
• Familiarity with how data is presented in dashboards or reports to understand performance trends.

CRM & Automation:

• Awareness of how CRM systems and automation tools impact customer journeys and service delivery, though direct hands-on experience with complex CRM administration might not be required. Understanding the user's interaction with these systems is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are standard for a Service Designer. For an operations-focused role, the emphasis should be on how these tools are used to document, analyze, and improve service delivery processes and customer interactions, rather than purely aesthetic design. Understanding the integration of design outputs with operational workflows is crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, ensuring empathy is at the core of all service design and delivery decisions.
• Collaboration: A strong belief in working together across teams and disciplines to achieve shared goals, fostering an environment of mutual respect and open communication.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A drive to constantly seek new and better ways of doing things, embracing change and iterating on designs and services to optimize performance.
• Integrity & Responsibility: Upholding high ethical standards and taking ownership of decisions and their impact on customers and the business.
• Efficiency: A focus on designing services that are not only effective for customers but also efficient to deliver and manage from an operational perspective.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively working with product owners, engineers, business analysts, marketing, and other departments to ensure cohesive service design and delivery.
• Open Communication: Encouraging honest feedback, constructive criticism, and shared learning within the design community and project teams.
• Human-Centered Approach: Prioritizing user needs and perspectives in all discussions and decision-making processes.
• Agile Mindset: Embracing iterative development, flexibility, and adaptability in project execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values and collaboration styles are critical for operational effectiveness. A Service Designer who embodies these traits can significantly contribute to improving processes, fostering teamwork, and ensuring that customer-centricity is embedded throughout the organization's operational framework.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Constraints: Navigating the complexities of a large financial institution, including regulatory requirements, legacy systems, and budgetary limitations, while advocating for optimal user experiences.
• Embedding Service Design: Championing and integrating Service Design principles into established organizational processes and mindsets, particularly within non-design-centric teams.
• Measuring Impact: Developing and utilizing effective metrics to demonstrate the value and ROI of service design initiatives to stakeholders.
• Fixed-Term Contract: Working within a 12-month timeframe requires rapid integration, focused delivery, and a clear understanding of project priorities to make a significant impact within the contract duration.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Financial Services: Gaining in-depth knowledge of customer behaviors, market trends, and regulatory landscapes within the banking sector.
• Exposure to Large-Scale Transformation: Participating in a significant organizational transformation program, offering insights into change management and large-scale project execution.
• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from experienced designers and leaders within the Homes Experience Design team and the broader Lloyds Banking Group.
• Skill Enhancement: Potential to develop skills in specific areas of service design, UX/UI, user research, or even gain exposure to operational management aspects through project involvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the practical, real-world application of Service Design within a corporate operations setting. Addressing these challenges requires not only design skills but also strong problem-solving, communication, and adaptability – traits essential for operations professionals. The growth opportunities are significant for career development within the financial services industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex customer journey you’ve mapped and redesigned. What were the key pain points, and how did your design address them operationally?" (Focus on process mapping, problem-solving, and operational impact).
• "How do you balance user needs with business constraints and technical feasibility when designing a service? Provide an example from your portfolio." (Assess strategic thinking, negotiation, and practical application).
• "Imagine you need to introduce a new Service Design process to a team resistant to change. How would you approach this, and what steps would you take to gain buy-in?" (Evaluate change management, communication, and advocacy skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Lloyds Banking Group's digital transformation efforts, and how do you see Service Design contributing to these goals?" (Demonstrate research and strategic alignment).
• "How do you approach collaboration with product owners, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure a service is not only well-designed but also effectively implemented and managed?" (Assess teamwork and cross-functional operational integration).
• "How would you measure the success of a service design initiative within our Homes Experience team?" (Focus on metrics, ROI, and operational outcome measurement).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with the "Why" – the problem or opportunity. Clearly define your role and the project's objectives.
• Process: Walk through your methodology step-by-step, showcasing key artifacts (journey maps, blueprints, research findings). Explain the rationale behind your decisions.
• Collaboration: Highlight how you worked with others and managed feedback to achieve the best outcome.
• Outcome: Present the results and impact, using data and metrics where possible, and reflect on lessons learned.
• Relevance: Tailor your presentation to the specific needs of the Homes Experience team and Lloyds Banking Group's stated objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This preparation advice emphasizes the operational aspects of Service Design. Interviewers will be looking for candidates who can not only design but also articulate how their designs will be implemented, managed, and contribute to business objectives. The portfolio presentation is a critical opportunity to showcase practical, operations-relevant skills.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Lloyds Banking Group careers portal.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your CV and portfolio to highlight your experience in Service Design, customer journey mapping, stakeholder engagement, and agile methodologies. Showcase projects that demonstrate your ability to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your achievements using action verbs and quantifiable results, focusing on keywords relevant to Service Design, customer experience, and operations.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and project outcomes using the STAR method. Prepare specific examples of how you have influenced service delivery and collaborated with cross-functional teams.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Lloyds Banking Group's mission, values, current transformation initiatives, and the specific objectives of the Homes Experience Design team. Understand their approach to customer service and digital banking.

⚠️ 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.