Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer

Company: Cancer Research UK

Location: Stratford (2 Redman Place), London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME, TEMPORARY (12-month fixed-term contract)

Category: Service Design / User Experience (UX)

Date Posted: April 24, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (Estimated 2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (Office-based with high flexibility, 1-2 days per week in the office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Service Design Leadership: Lead and contribute to the co-design of new or improved services, grounding recommendations in user needs and evidence to inform organizational priorities.

• User-Centred & Evidence-Based Approach: Employ a strong grasp of service design principles with a user-centred, evidence-based approach to research, design, and test end-to-end services.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Business Owners, staff, and communities across the charity, working within multidisciplinary teams (UX, content design, business analysis, solution architecture) to co-design service models and value propositions.

• Process Optimization & Transformation: Drive service transformation initiatives by contributing to clear decision-making within delivery teams, shaping and influencing decisions through design thinking, Agile, and Lean principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the Marketing, Fundraising & Engagement Directorate, indicating a focus on how external-facing services and supporter experiences are designed and optimized to drive engagement and fundraising efforts for Cancer Research UK. The emphasis on "evidence-based decisions" and "user needs" suggests a strong data-informed approach to service design, moving beyond purely aesthetic or functional design to encompass the entire user journey and its impact on organizational outcomes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to design work that informs organizational priorities, ensuring recommendations are grounded in user needs and evidence.

• Conduct research, design, and test end-to-end services using user-centred and evidence-based methodologies.

• Collaborate with Business Owners, staff, and communities to co-design new service models and value propositions, defining how the organization can effectively deliver them.

• Work within cross-functional teams (UX, content design, business analysis, solution architecture) to explore opportunities, create artefacts like service blueprints, and prototype potential solutions.

• Contribute to clear decision-making within delivery teams to support the successful delivery of service transformation initiatives.

• Deliver high-quality, user-centred services, confidently testing, learning, and iterating to improve outcomes.

• Support Business Owners in scoping and delivering user-centred services, leveraging design thinking alongside Agile and Lean principles to shape decisions and challenge assumptions with evidence.

• Define and track success measures for services and propositions, supporting evidence-based decision-making and helping teams use performance data for iteration and improvement.

• Connect initiatives as part of the service design capability to ensure projects align and collectively deliver greater value.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic influence and hands-on design work. The emphasis on "scoping and delivering user-centred services" and "shaping and influencing decisions" points to a role that requires not only design expertise but also strong communication and strategic thinking to impact business outcomes within a non-profit context. The mention of "connecting initiatives" suggests a need for a holistic view of service delivery across the organization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong educational background or equivalent practical experience in a relevant field such as Service Design, UX Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Design Thinking, or a related discipline is expected.

Experience:

• Experience in service development and delivery, encompassing planning, use-case creation, user research, experience design, usability testing, and ongoing service optimization for diverse audiences.

• Proven ability to question the status quo and contribute to beneficial process improvement.

• Comfort working with the full spectrum of service components, from digital and non-digital user interactions to backend processes and policy considerations.

Required Skills:

• Service Design Principles: A strong grasp of core service design principles and methodologies.

• User-Centred Design: A demonstrable user-centred mindset, balancing user needs with system, operational, and business constraints.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Ability to ground recommendations in user needs and evidence, influencing thinking and engaging a range of audiences.

• Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills focused on user outcomes and service goals, not solely technology solutions.

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Experience constructively challenging and influencing senior stakeholders, using evidence and user insight to build buy-in.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams (UX, content design, business analysis, solution architecture).

• Agile & Lean Methodologies: Familiarity with applying Agile and Lean principles to service design and delivery.

• Communication Skills: Ability to clearly communicate ideas and insights to diverse audiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in digital transformation initiatives.

• Familiarity with creating service blueprints and prototyping.

• Experience with user research and usability testing.

• Understanding of how to define and track success measures for services using performance data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly states, "You may not have worked as a Service Designer before." This suggests that strong transferable skills in user-centred design, problem-solving, and stakeholder engagement from related fields (e.g., UX Design, Business Analysis with a strong user focus, Product Management) will be highly valued, provided the candidate can demonstrate a solid understanding of service design principles and a willingness to learn.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase projects demonstrating the application of user-centred and evidence-based approaches to service design.

• Process Improvement Examples: Highlight instances where you have questioned the status quo and contributed to beneficial process improvements.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Evidence of working effectively within multidisciplinary teams to co-design solutions.

• User Research & Testing: Examples of how user research and testing informed service design decisions.

• Service Blueprints & Prototypes: Demonstrations of creating artefacts like service blueprints and prototypes to visualize and test service concepts.

• Outcome Measurement: Examples of how you defined and tracked success measures for services and propositions, using performance data for iteration.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate experience in mapping existing service workflows and designing optimized future-state workflows.

• User Journey Mapping: Showcase the creation of detailed user journey maps to identify pain points and opportunities for service improvement.

• Agile/Lean Integration: Illustrate how service design processes were integrated with Agile or Lean delivery frameworks.

• Evidence Gathering & Synthesis: Examples of research methodologies used and how findings were synthesized to inform design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on "evidence-based decisions" and "user needs," the portfolio should strongly emphasize the "why" and "how" behind design choices, backed by research and data. It should clearly articulate the impact of the designed services on both user experience and organizational outcomes, particularly in the context of a charity's mission.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £45,000 - £50,000 per annum.

• Research & Methodology: This range is explicitly provided in the job description. For a Service Designer role in London with 2-5 years of experience, this range is competitive and aligns with industry benchmarks for similar positions in the non-profit sector in the UK. The provided range is considered fair for a mid-level role in a major city like London.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive benefits package (specifics to be detailed by the organization, but generally includes health, pension, etc.).

• Generous benefits package (as stated in the job description).

• Career and personal development opportunities.

• High-quality tools and resources to support work.

• Support for improving work-life balance.

Working Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week. Compressed hours will be considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "benefits" and a link to Cancer Research UK's careers page suggests a robust total rewards package. The consideration of compressed hours is a positive indicator of flexibility for employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Non-profit / Charity (Cancer Research)

Company Size: Cancer Research UK is a large, established charity. (LinkedIn data indicates 10,000+ employees). This size implies a structured environment with opportunities for diverse projects and cross-departmental collaboration, but potentially more formal processes.

Founded: Cancer Research UK was formed in 2002 through the merger of the Cancer Research Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. This history indicates a well-established organization with a long-standing commitment to its mission.

Team Structure:

• Directorate: Marketing, Fundraising & Engagement. This places the Service Designer within a team focused on supporter acquisition, retention, and overall engagement with the charity's mission.

• Reporting: Reports to the Lead Service Designer, indicating a dedicated service design function and a clear reporting line for guidance and development.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Works closely with Business Owners, staff, communities, UX designers, content designers, business analysts, and solution architects, emphasizing a collaborative and integrated approach to service development.

Methodology:

• User-Centred Design: Central to the role, ensuring all services are designed with the end-user's needs at the forefront.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Recommendations and designs are to be grounded in user research, data, and performance metrics.

• Design Thinking: Applied to explore opportunities, shape decisions, and solve complex problems.

• Agile & Lean Principles: Utilized to effectively deliver and iterate on services within project timelines.

• Service Blueprints & Prototyping: Key artefacts and methods for visualizing, testing, and refining service concepts.

Company Website: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "beat cancer" is a strong cultural driver. The values (Bold, Credible, Human, Together) are designed to guide all actions. For a Service Designer, this means aligning design solutions with the charity's impact-driven goals and ensuring human-centred approaches are consistently applied, especially when dealing with sensitive subject matter or diverse user groups.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Service Designer. This role is responsible for leading and contributing to design work, collaborating across functions, and influencing decisions. It's a step beyond junior roles, requiring independent work and strategic input.

Reporting Structure: Reports to a Lead Service Designer. This provides mentorship and guidance, with potential to influence the broader service design strategy within the directorate.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the effectiveness and user experience of services within the Marketing, Fundraising & Engagement directorate. This means influencing how supporters engage with Cancer Research UK, how fundraising campaigns are experienced, and ultimately contributing to the organization's ability to fund critical research. The impact is measured through user satisfaction, engagement metrics, and fundraising success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Service Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific service design methodologies, user research techniques, or service transformation strategies.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into a Lead Service Designer role or manage small teams/projects as experience grows.

• Cross-Directorate Impact: Opportunity to apply service design skills to other areas of the charity, broadening understanding and influence.

• Industry Influence: Contributing to best practices within the non-profit sector for service design.

• Skill Expansion: Gaining experience with Agile/Lean, data analysis for service optimization, and complex stakeholder environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The 12-month fixed-term contract suggests this role might be project-based, potentially to drive a specific service improvement or transformation initiative. This can be a great opportunity for rapid learning and portfolio building, though candidates should be aware of the contract's duration. The emphasis on "you may not have worked as a Service Designer before" opens doors for growth from related fields.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office). This indicates a hybrid working model.

Office Location(s): 2 Redman Place, Stratford, London. This is a modern office location, likely with good transport links.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on cross-functional collaboration suggest a workspace designed to facilitate teamwork, with opportunities for in-person brainstorming and workshops.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to standard office technology, likely including design software, collaboration tools, and potentially specialized service design platforms.

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with the Lead Service Designer and multidisciplinary teams, fostering a supportive and dynamic work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time, 35 hours per week, with flexibility for compressed hours. This allows for structured workdays while accommodating personal needs, particularly useful for deep work sessions and collaborative meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Stratford location, potentially near the Olympic Park, suggests a modern and accessible office environment. The hybrid model balances the need for in-person collaboration with the benefits of remote work, a common and often preferred arrangement for design professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Stage 1: Task & Interview:

  • Task: A role-related task will be administered, likely assessing practical service design skills, problem-solving abilities, or the ability to interpret user needs into design solutions. Preparation should focus on demonstrating a user-centred and evidence-based approach.
  • Competency & Technical Questions: Expect questions evaluating your skills against the job requirements, focusing on areas like stakeholder management, problem-solving, and understanding of service design principles.

• Stage 2: Further Interview: A second interview, likely competency-based, will delve deeper into your experience, cultural fit, and ability to embody the organization's values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process & Impact: Showcase the "why" and "how" of your design decisions, supported by user research and data. Clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the solutions, and the measurable outcomes.

• User-Centred Narrative: Structure case studies around user needs and how your designs addressed them.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Include examples of working within multidisciplinary teams and influencing stakeholders.

• Showcase Diverse Skills: Include examples of user research, journey mapping, service blueprints, and prototyping.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., improved user satisfaction, increased engagement, efficiency gains).

• Tailor to Charity Context: If possible, highlight any experience or understanding of the non-profit sector or mission-driven organizations.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate a Design Challenge: Be prepared for a practical exercise that might involve mapping a user journey, ideating service improvements for a given scenario, or presenting a service design concept.

• Structure Your Response: For any task or challenge, clearly outline your understanding of the problem, your research approach (even if hypothetical), your proposed solution, and how you would measure success.

• Articulate Your Values: Be ready to discuss how you embody Cancer Research UK's values (Bold, Credible, Human, Together) in your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The anonymized shortlisting process means the initial assessment relies heavily on the application form's work history section, not the CV. Therefore, ensuring this section is detailed and highlights relevant achievements is crucial. The inclusion of a task before the first interview is common for design roles and will likely be a core part of assessing practical skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar for creating wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes.

• Service Design Tools: Likely includes tools for service blueprinting, journey mapping, and workshop facilitation (e.g., Miro, Mural, Lucidchart).

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Familiarity with platforms like Google Analytics to understand user behaviour on digital platforms.

• Performance Data Tools: Ability to work with data to track service success measures and inform iteration (specific tools would depend on the organization's stack).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a primary focus, understanding how services interact with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) from a user perspective can be beneficial.

• Workflow Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation can support service delivery, though direct experience may not be required.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the core requirement is proficiency in user-centred design and service design methodologies. The ability to leverage digital tools for research, design, prototyping, and collaboration is essential. Familiarity with tools used in Agile environments (e.g., Jira for task tracking) would also be advantageous.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Bold: Act with ambition, courage, and determination – e.g., courageously challenging assumptions with evidence to drive service improvements.

• Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism – e.g., ensuring all service design work is well-researched, data-informed, and professionally executed.

• Human: Act to have a positive impact on people – e.g., designing services that are empathetic, accessible, and genuinely meet user needs, particularly in the context of cancer research support.

• Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively – e.g., actively engaging with diverse stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams to co-create effective services.

Collaboration Style:

• Inclusive & Collaborative: Emphasis on working "Together," drawing on diverse perspectives from various teams and user groups.

• Evidence-Driven: Collaboration is underpinned by a "Credible" and "Bold" approach to using evidence to inform decisions.

• Impact-Focused: All collaborative efforts are aimed at achieving "Human" impact and advancing the mission to beat cancer.

• Constructive Challenging: Encourages open dialogue and the ability to respectfully challenge existing approaches ("Bold") to achieve better outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The organization's values are deeply integrated into its culture and operational ethos. For a Service Designer, demonstrating how your work and collaboration style align with these values will be crucial during the interview process. This means showing how you are ambitious in your problem-solving, rigorous in your approach, empathetic to users, and a strong team player.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Organizational Constraints: Effectively designing services that meet user needs while also aligning with the charity's strategic goals, budget, and operational capabilities.

• Navigating Stakeholder Priorities: Influencing a diverse range of stakeholders with potentially competing interests to gain buy-in for user-centred service designs.

• Driving Change in a Large Organization: Facilitating service transformation and adoption of new service models within a large, established non-profit.

• Measuring Impact in a Mission-Driven Context: Clearly demonstrating the value and ROI of service design efforts in terms of both user experience and contribution to Cancer Research UK's mission.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Service Design Specialization: Opportunity to become an expert in advanced service design techniques and frameworks.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of marketing, fundraising, and engagement operations.

• Data Analysis for Design: Developing skills in using performance data to drive service iteration and optimization.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Learning from a Lead Service Designer and potentially mentoring junior team members in the future.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Access to professional development in service design and digital transformation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fixed-term nature of the contract presents a unique challenge and opportunity. It requires a candidate who can quickly integrate, deliver impact, and adapt to a project-focused environment, while also offering a concentrated period for intensive skill development and portfolio enhancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Service Design Approach: "Describe a complex service you've helped design or improve. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on user research, evidence, collaboration, and measurable results).

• Stakeholder Influence: "How do you gain buy-in from senior stakeholders for user-centred design recommendations, especially when they conflict with existing assumptions or preferences?" (Prepare examples of persuasion, data-backed arguments, and compromise).

• Problem-Solving & Innovation: "Imagine we want to improve supporter engagement through our digital channels. How would you approach designing a new service or enhancing an existing one?" (Showcase your structured thinking, user-centricity, and ability to ideate).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Values Alignment: "How do you embody our values of Bold, Credible, Human, and Together in your work as a Service Designer?" (Prepare specific examples from your experience).

• Mission Understanding: "What interests you about applying service design principles within a charity like Cancer Research UK?" (Demonstrate an understanding of the organization's mission and the unique context of non-profit service design).

• Collaboration Style: "Describe a time you worked on a project with a challenging team dynamic. How did you navigate it to achieve the project goals?" (Highlight your interpersonal skills and ability to foster positive collaboration).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process undertaken, the solution developed, and the impact achieved.

• Highlight the "Why": Emphasize the user needs and evidence that drove your design decisions.

• Showcase Collaboration: Illustrate how you worked with others and influenced outcomes.

• Quantify Impact: Present metrics and data that demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, tools, and decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process includes a practical task. Be ready to demonstrate your ability to apply service design thinking to a real-world or hypothetical scenario relevant to Cancer Research UK's operations. This is your chance to show your hands-on skills and strategic thinking in action.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Workday portal.

• Optimize Your Application:

  • Work History Section: Since CVs are anonymized initially, ensure this section of the online application form is detailed, highlighting specific achievements, responsibilities, and quantifiable results relevant to service design, user-centred approaches, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Tailor to Keywords: Integrate keywords from the job description and this enhanced listing naturally into your application responses.

• Prepare Your Portfolio:

  • Curate Select Case Studies: Choose 2-3 strong examples that best showcase your service design skills, user-centred approach, and impact.
  • Focus on Process & Outcomes: Clearly articulate the problem, your methodology, the solution, and the measurable results for each case study.

• Research Cancer Research UK:

  • Understand the Mission: Familiarize yourself with Cancer Research UK's work, impact, and strategic priorities.
  • Review Their Services: If possible, explore their current digital and non-digital services to understand their user experience and identify potential areas for improvement.
  • Embody Their Values: Prepare to discuss how your work aligns with their organizational values.

⚠️ 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.