Service Designer (12-Month FTC)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer (12-Month Fixed-Term Contract) Company: Lloyds Banking Group Location: London, United Kingdom Job Type: Full-Time Category: Customer Experience Design / Service Design Date Posted: October 29, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years inferred) Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office minimum)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is within a newly formed, ambitious Discovery team focused on exploring future trends and co-shaping new propositions and services.
• The Service Designer will be instrumental in creating seamless digital customer experiences and advancing the practice of Service Design across Lloyds Banking Group.
• Responsibilities include collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to champion transformative ideas from discovery through to delivery.
• The position requires a blend of strategic foresight, design thinking, and practical execution to translate emerging needs into viable opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Service Designer," the description emphasizes "discovery work," "strategic foresight," and "0→1 product development," indicating a role that leans heavily into innovation and future-state thinking rather than purely operational service design. The "Discovery team" context suggests a focus on ideation and strategic exploration.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and collaborate on discovery initiatives, transforming ambiguous briefs into actionable plans with defined outcomes and clear objectives.
• Design, facilitate, and support workshops and strategic conversations with diverse stakeholders, fostering alignment and identifying organizational synergies.
• Apply design thinking methodologies, innovation frameworks, and strategic foresight techniques to uncover emerging customer needs and shape them into concrete, viable opportunities.
• Conduct research and create visualizations of current and future-state experiences, utilizing tools such as service blueprints, system maps, horizon models, and scenarios.
• Develop compelling narratives and prototypes to communicate insights and future visions effectively to various audiences.
• Champion a people-centered design approach, critically challenging assumptions and ensuring that all decision-making is grounded in evidence and user insights.
• Manage the delivery of design work within sprints and tight timelines, balancing visionary thinking with pragmatic execution to achieve tangible results.
• Collaborate with and mentor other designers across the business to elevate Experience Design practices and embed future and systems thinking throughout the organization.
• Actively contribute to the development and evolution of the Discovery team's impact and ways of working.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive role in shaping both projects and team methodologies, suggesting the need for strong leadership qualities and a desire to influence operational practices within the innovation space.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Specific educational requirements are not explicitly stated, but a background in design, innovation, or a related field is implied. Equivalent practical experience will likely be considered.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5-10 years of experience in a design-focused role is inferred, with a strong emphasis on discovery, innovation, or future-facing service design.
• Proven track record in 0→1 product development or product innovation, demonstrating the ability to translate emerging trends into desirable concepts.

Required Skills:

• Service Design & Innovation: Expertise in future-facing service design, strategic innovation, and translating emerging shifts into actionable concepts.
• Design Thinking & Frameworks: Proficient in applying design thinking, innovation frameworks, and strategic foresight methodologies.
• Visualisation & Artefact Creation: Strong ability to create tangible design artefacts, including service blueprints, system maps, scenarios, and prototypes.
• Facilitation & Communication: Excellent facilitation skills with the ability to inspire and communicate effectively with senior, technical, and non-technical audiences.
• Customer Centricity: Deep understanding and consistent application of people-centered design principles and customer needs analysis.
• Ambiguity & Resilience: Demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments with calm resilience under pressure.
• Relationship Building: Confidence in building relationships with diverse customer groups and providing constructive challenge to senior stakeholders.
• Trend Research & Foresight: Experience in trend research, signal observation, and strategic foresight techniques.
• Prototyping: Experience in creating prototypes to test and communicate concepts.

Preferred Skills:

• Generative AI Tools: Experience with generative AI tools for design purposes is a plus.
• Systems Thinking: Understanding of systems thinking principles to map complex relationships and identify leverage points.
• Agile/Sprint Delivery: Experience working within agile methodologies and delivering projects in sprints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "0→1 product development" and "discovery space" suggests that candidates with experience in startup environments or innovation labs within larger organizations will be highly valued. The "healthy challenge to senior partners" implies a need for strong influencing skills and executive presence.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase projects demonstrating experience in the "discovery space," focusing on innovation, future-state visioning, and translating ambiguous challenges into actionable plans.
• Include examples of service blueprints, system maps, scenario planning, and prototyping that illustrate the user journey and future experience design.
• Provide case studies that highlight the application of design thinking, strategic foresight, and innovation frameworks to solve complex problems.
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct user research and translate emerging customer needs into viable product or service concepts.
• Showcase strong visual design skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas through compelling storytelling and tangible artefacts.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of designing and facilitating workshops and strategic conversations to drive alignment and identify opportunities.
• Examples of how trend research, signal observation, and strategic foresight were used to inform design decisions.
• Documentation of experience in 0→1 product development, from ideation to concept validation.
• Demonstrations of how evidence-based decision-making was applied to challenge assumptions and influence stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their process for tackling ambiguous briefs and how they measure the success of innovation or discovery projects. The portfolio should clearly articulate the "before" (ambiguous brief/emerging need) and "after" (actionable plan/viable opportunity) phases of their work.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £70,929 - £78,810 GBP per annum.

Benefits:

• Generous Pension Contribution: Up to 15% contribution.
• Annual Performance Related Bonus: Opportunity for performance-based financial rewards.
• Share Schemes: Including free shares, offering equity participation.
• Work-Life Balance & Lifestyle:
  • 30 days' holiday plus bank holidays.
  • Benefits adaptable to lifestyle, such as discounted shopping.
  • Generous parental leave policies.
• Wellbeing: A range of wellbeing initiatives to support employee health.
• Flexible Working: Hybrid working model (minimum 2 days/40% in office), Job Share options available.

Working Hours: 35 hours per week, full-time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a specialist design role in London, reflecting the seniority and specific skillset required. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on financial security, work-life balance, and employee wellbeing, typical of a large financial institution. The hybrid working model with a clear minimum office presence is a key aspect of the work environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Banking) Company Size: Large Enterprise (Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial institutions, employing over 50,000 people globally). Founded: 2009 (merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS), with historical roots stretching back much further.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the newly formed "Discovery team," a multidisciplinary collective of practitioners focused on future exploration and innovation.
• This team collaborates with various business units across the organization, indicating a matrixed or project-based reporting structure for discovery initiatives.
• The Service Designer will work alongside designers, researchers, and strategists, fostering a collaborative and cross-functional environment.

Methodology:

• The Discovery team utilizes strategic foresight, design thinking, and systems thinking to explore signals of change and future drivers.
• Emphasis is placed on co-shaping new propositions, ecosystems, and services that empower people.
• The team aims to advance the practice of Service Design and Experience Design across the Group, promoting evidence-based decision-making and a people-centered approach.
• Delivery is expected within sprints, balancing visionary thinking with pragmatic execution.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Working within a "newly formed" team means there will be opportunities to shape processes and culture, but also a need for adaptability and comfort with evolving structures. The company's scale suggests access to significant resources and a broad customer base, offering impactful project opportunities.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-to-senior level, focusing on specialized design expertise within an innovation context. It requires a blend of strategic thinking, creative execution, and influencing skills.

Reporting Structure: While reporting lines within the Discovery team are not explicitly detailed, the role involves collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary team and likely reports to a Head of Discovery, Innovation Lead, or a senior design manager. The FTC nature suggests a project-specific reporting line.

Operations Impact: The Service Designer's impact is centered on shaping future customer experiences and business propositions. By identifying emerging needs and designing innovative solutions, they directly influence the Group's ability to remain competitive, meet evolving customer expectations, and drive future revenue streams through new and improved services. The role aims to embed advanced design practices into the organization's operational DNA.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in strategic foresight, systems thinking, and 0→1 innovation within a large, established financial institution.
• Community Building: Contribute to and help shape the Service Design community within Lloyds Banking Group, mentoring junior designers and evolving best practices.
• Impactful Projects: Gain exposure to large-scale, high-impact projects that influence the financial services landscape for millions of customers.
• Leadership Potential: Develop influencing and facilitation skills that can lead to more senior strategic roles within design, innovation, or product development functions.
• Networking: Build a strong network across various departments within a major UK corporation.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a 12-month fixed-term contract, this role offers a focused opportunity to make a significant impact on a specific innovation agenda. While not a permanent role, it provides valuable experience and a potential stepping stone for future opportunities within the organization or the broader financial services sector.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid working model, requiring a minimum of 2 days per week (or 40% of time) in one of the Group's office sites. This suggests a blend of remote autonomy and in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): Primarily based in London, with the specific office address noted as "London 25 Gresham Street." This central London location offers excellent transport links and access to a vibrant business hub.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role necessitates close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of designers, researchers, and strategists, fostering a dynamic and interactive workspace.
• Tools & Technology: While not explicitly detailed, expect access to standard design software, collaboration platforms, and potentially advanced tools for prototyping, visualization, and AI-assisted design.
• Team Interaction: The hybrid model balances individual focus time with opportunities for in-person brainstorming, workshops, and relationship-building with colleagues.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (35 hours per week) with a hybrid work arrangement offering flexibility. This structure allows for dedicated time for deep work and collaborative sessions, supporting the cyclical nature of design and discovery processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is clearly defined with a minimum office attendance requirement, indicating a structured approach to balancing remote flexibility with the benefits of in-person interaction for ideation and team cohesion.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements, particularly in discovery, innovation, and service design.
• First Interview: Likely with a hiring manager or lead from the Discovery team, focusing on experience, approach to design challenges, and cultural fit. Expect questions about past projects, problem-solving methodologies, and collaboration style.
• Design Challenge/Workshop: Candidates may be asked to complete a take-home exercise or participate in a live workshop/presentation. This could involve analyzing a brief, proposing a solution, or facilitating a mini-session.
• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership, focusing on strategic thinking, vision, and the ability to influence at a higher level.
• Offer: For successful candidates.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate your thought process, methodologies (design thinking, foresight, etc.), and decision-making rationale for each project.
• Showcase Discovery: Prioritize projects that demonstrate your ability to work in ambiguous environments, define problems, and explore future opportunities. Highlight "0→1" work.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or outcomes that demonstrate the value or impact of your design work (e.g., user adoption, efficiency gains, concept validation success).
• Visual Storytelling: Use service blueprints, journey maps, system diagrams, and prototypes to visually tell the story of your projects.
• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize experience relevant to financial services, innovation, and customer experience design. Highlight any experience with generative AI.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research Lloyds Banking Group's strategic goals, customer segments, and current market challenges in financial services.
• Practice Facilitation: Be ready to demonstrate your ability to lead workshops and facilitate discussions effectively.
• Articulate Vision: Prepare to discuss your vision for future customer experiences in banking and how design can drive innovation.
• Systems Thinking: Be ready to discuss how you approach complex systems and identify potential leverage points for change.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on discovery and future-thinking, expect interviewers to probe deeply into how candidates handle uncertainty, generate novel ideas, and validate concepts in the early stages of development. The portfolio should serve as evidence of these capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), Miro, Mural (for collaboration and workshops).
• Visualization: Tools for creating service blueprints, system maps, journey maps (e.g., dedicated software or advanced features within design tools).
• AI Tools: Experience with generative AI tools for design ideation, content creation, or rapid prototyping is considered a plus.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus of this role, an understanding of how design decisions impact key business metrics (e.g., customer satisfaction, conversion rates, engagement) is expected. Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) might be beneficial for understanding user behavior.

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms is not explicitly required but can provide context for understanding customer data and interaction points within the financial services ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core requirement is proficiency in design and collaboration tools. Experience with emerging AI tools in the design space is a significant differentiator, aligning with the role's forward-looking nature. The emphasis is on the application of these tools to drive discovery and innovation, rather than just technical proficiency.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A strong commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, designing experiences that are intuitive, accessible, and valuable.
• Innovation & Change: Embracing a forward-thinking mindset, actively exploring new ideas, and driving transformative change within the organization.
• Collaboration & Inclusion: Valuing diverse perspectives and working effectively with multidisciplinary teams to achieve shared goals.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing evidence, research, and insights to inform design choices and challenge assumptions.
• Agility & Adaptability: Thriving in dynamic environments, iterating quickly, and adapting to new information and challenges.
• Integrity: Upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and trust, crucial in the financial services sector.

Collaboration Style:

• The Discovery team fosters a highly collaborative environment, working across disciplines (design, research, strategy) to tackle complex problems.
• Expect a style that encourages open dialogue, constructive feedback, and co-creation.
• The role requires strong influencing skills to work effectively with senior partners and stakeholders across different business units.
• A proactive approach to sharing knowledge and best practices within the design community is valued.

📝 Enhancement Note: Lloyds Banking Group emphasizes its values-led culture. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how their personal values and working style align with these principles, particularly regarding customer centricity, integrity, and driving positive change.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Ambiguity in Discovery: Navigating undefined problems and evolving briefs, requiring strong sense-making and strategic foresight skills.
• Influencing Stakeholders: Gaining buy-in and driving adoption of new ideas and designs among senior leadership and diverse business units.
• Balancing Vision and Pragmatism: Translating future-forward concepts into tangible, executable plans within organizational constraints and timelines.
• Embedding New Practices: Helping to establish and champion advanced design methodologies (strategic foresight, systems thinking) within a large, established organization.
• Fixed-Term Contract: Managing career progression and impact within a 12-month timeframe, requiring focused delivery and clear articulation of achievements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Methodologies: Deepen expertise in strategic foresight, systems thinking, and 0→1 innovation.
• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain broad experience working with various departments and understanding different business functions within a major financial institution.
• Influence & Leadership Skills: Develop stronger stakeholder management, facilitation, and strategic communication capabilities.
• Industry Trends: Stay at the forefront of innovation in financial services and design by working on cutting-edge discovery projects.
• Networking: Build valuable professional connections across Lloyds Banking Group.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is ideal for someone who thrives on tackling complex, undefined challenges and enjoys the process of shaping new possibilities. The growth opportunities are significant for individuals looking to expand their strategic design and innovation toolkit within a large corporate setting.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to tackle a highly ambiguous brief. How did you define the problem, what methods did you use, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your discovery process).
• "How do you balance visionary thinking with the practical constraints of delivery in a large organization?" (Highlight your ability to bridge strategy and execution).
• "Walk us through a project where you used strategic foresight or trend research to identify a future opportunity. What signals did you observe, and how did you translate them into a design concept?" (Demonstrate your foresight capabilities).
• "How do you approach building relationships and influencing senior stakeholders to champion new ideas or design approaches?" (Showcase your communication and influencing skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for Lloyds Banking Group, and specifically within a Discovery team?" (Research the company's purpose, values, and recent initiatives).
• "How would you contribute to advancing the practice of Service Design within our organization?" (Think about community building, mentorship, and knowledge sharing).
• "Describe your experience working in multidisciplinary teams. What is your preferred collaboration style?" (Align with the team's collaborative ethos).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each chosen project, clearly outline the challenge, your role, the process you followed (emphasizing discovery methods), the solution, and the impact.
• Highlight Ambiguity & Foresight: Select projects that best showcase your ability to handle uncertainty and leverage future-thinking methodologies.
• Visual Clarity: Use clear, concise visuals (blueprints, maps, prototypes) to support your narrative. Ensure they are easy to understand for a diverse audience.
• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions at each stage.
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific choices, challenges encountered, and alternative approaches you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for evidence of proactive problem-solving, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of how design can drive innovation and shape future customer experiences, particularly within the financial services context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the Lloyds Banking Group careers portal.
• Tailor Your CV: Highlight experience in service design, innovation, discovery, strategic foresight, and 0→1 product development. Use keywords relevant to the job description.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your capabilities in tackling ambiguous briefs, applying design thinking and foresight, and creating tangible design artefacts. Ensure your portfolio clearly outlines your process and impact.
• Prepare for the Interview: Research Lloyds Banking Group's mission, values, and recent strategic priorities. Practice articulating your experience using the STAR method, focusing on discovery and innovation scenarios.
• Understand the Hybrid Model: Be prepared to discuss your approach to hybrid working and how you ensure effective collaboration both remotely and in the office.

⚠️ 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.

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