Senior Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Service Designer
Company: OMERS
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Job Type: FULL_TIME
Category: Service Design / Experience Design / GTM Strategy
Date Posted: May 06, 2026
Experience Level: 5+ Years
Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the strategic direction and execution of service design initiatives across OMERS, focusing on enhancing member, employer, and employee experiences.
• Lead the practical and creative application of human-centered design and service design methodologies to improve and develop new processes, experiences, and services.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to surface deep user needs and translate them into exceptional end-to-end experiences that balance user value and business impact.
• Champion the adoption and integration of service design principles and practices across the organization to foster a user-centric and efficient operational culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role sits within the Pensions Department, specifically tasked with exploring, identifying, and validating new opportunities to deliver value. The emphasis on "optimizing for today and building for tomorrow" strongly indicates a Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy and operational efficiency focus, leveraging service design as a means to achieve these business objectives, particularly within a regulated financial services environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate cross-functional workshops and co-creation sessions to effectively frame complex problems, generate innovative ideas, and align diverse teams around a unified vision for service improvement.
• Own and manage end-to-end service design initiatives, from the initial discovery and research phases through to final delivery and implementation, spanning digital, human, and operational touchpoints.
• Plan and execute comprehensive research, both qualitative and quantitative, to deeply understand member, employer, and employee needs, behaviors, pain points, and motivations.
• Synthesize complex research insights into clear, actionable opportunities that effectively balance delivering significant value to users with achieving strategic business objectives and operational efficiency.
• Create and evolve critical service design artifacts, including detailed journey maps, service blueprints, ecosystem maps, and user flows, to drive organizational alignment and informed decision-making.
• Translate service design concepts into tangible actions by actively partnering with product, technology, and operations teams to shape product roadmaps, guide feature development, and contribute to future-state problem-solving.
• Design novel service propositions that strategically align identified user needs with overarching business objectives and the organization's strategic goals.
• Act as a proactive champion and embed service design as a core mindset and established methodology across all relevant departments within OMERS.
• Influence and engage stakeholders at all organizational levels through compelling storytelling, strong facilitation techniques, and well-substantiated, evidence-based recommendations.
• Foster a highly collaborative work environment by bringing empathy, creativity, and a constructive, problem-solving mindset to all engagements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a strategic role that bridges user experience with business operations and GTM strategy. The emphasis on "operational touchpoints," "operational efficiency," and "business impact" signifies that this role is not just about user interfaces but also about how services are delivered and managed operationally to achieve business outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Business, or a related field is often preferred for roles requiring deep understanding of user behavior and strategic problem-solving.

Experience: A minimum of 5+ years of progressive experience in service design, strategic design, Customer Experience (CX), User Experience Research (UXR), or a closely related discipline. This experience should demonstrate a robust history of leading and delivering end-to-end service design projects.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in human-centered design (HCD) methodologies, encompassing research, synthesis, ideation, prototyping, and testing phases.
• Demonstrated ability to design and measurably improve complex, multi-channel services that effectively meet user needs and drive significant operational efficiency.
• Strong systems thinking capabilities, with a clear understanding of how individual experiences connect with underlying processes, policies, and organizational structures.
• Confidence and proven experience in facilitating workshops and effectively managing diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership.
• Excellent visual and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated talent for bringing ideas to life through compelling artifacts like journey maps, service blueprints, and user flows.
• Experience collaborating effectively within cross-functional, agile teams alongside product managers, developers, business analysts, and other key business stakeholders.
• A critical thinking and entrepreneurial mindset, characterized by comfort with ambiguity and a strong drive to solve complex, multifaceted problems.
• Ability to synthesize and connect past research insights to inform present and future project initiatives, demonstrating a strategic understanding of organizational context.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the financial services, pensions, or other highly regulated environments.
• Familiarity with digital design and collaboration tools such as Figma, Miro, Sprig, or similar survey and research platforms.
• Exposure to data-informed design principles, experimentation frameworks, and performance analytics.
• Experience contributing to the development, enhancement, or scaling of service design practices within an organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice to Have" section strongly suggests that experience in regulated industries like financial services is highly valued, indicating a need for candidates who understand compliance, risk, and structured decision-making processes, which are critical for operations and GTM strategy in such sectors.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A concise case study or work sample (maximum 3 PDF pages or slides, or a webpage) that clearly demonstrates the application of human-centered design methods to solve complex challenges, ideally within financial services or regulated environments.
• The portfolio piece should illustrate the specific practices used, highlighting strengths in qualitative research, quantitative research, service design, design strategy, or other relevant areas.
• Evidence of end-to-end service design work, from initial problem framing and research through to strategy development and delivery.
• A clear demonstration of how user needs were translated into improved processes, experiences, or services that also achieved business impact or operational efficiency.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase the ability to document and articulate complex service processes, including the creation of detailed service blueprints, user journey maps, and workflow diagrams.
• Provide examples of how research findings and synthesized insights were translated into actionable process improvements or new service designs.
• Demonstrate understanding of how to integrate service design outputs with existing operational workflows and technology systems for seamless implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for a portfolio with a "link to relevant work sample" and specific guidance on its content (case study, methodologies, strengths, communication) underscores the importance of demonstrating practical application of service design principles to solve business problems and improve operational outcomes. The emphasis on clear presentation within limited space highlights the need for concise, impactful communication of complex processes and results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The expected salary range for this position is $72,000.00 - $108,000.00 CAD per year. This range is determined based on the Senior level, the required experience, and the cost of living and market benchmarks for a Service Designer in Toronto, Ontario.

Benefits:

• Annual Incentive Award: Potential for an annual bonus payout.
• Short-term Incentive Plan: Eligibility for performance-based incentive awards.
• Long-Term Incentive Plan (if applicable): Potential for long-term equity or incentive programs.
• Group Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Retirement Plans: Participation in robust retirement savings and pension plans.
• Wellness Programs: Access to programs and resources supporting employee well-being.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, with a flexible hybrid work arrangement requiring the team to be in the office 2 days per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is a critical piece of information for candidates to assess the opportunity. The inclusion of multiple incentive plans (short-term and long-term) and comprehensive benefits highlights OMERS' commitment to competitive total compensation, which is important for attracting and retaining senior talent in specialized roles like Service Design. The hybrid model with specific office days is a key factor for candidates to consider regarding work-life integration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Pensions and Global Investment). OMERS is a defined benefit pension plan provider and a significant global investor, operating in a highly regulated sector. This context implies a culture that values stability, long-term vision, risk management, and member/stakeholder trust.

Company Size: OMERS is one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans, employing a significant number of people globally across its investment and pension operations. This scale suggests a structured environment with opportunities for impact, but also a need for clear processes and effective internal communication.

Founded: OMERS was founded in 1962. This long history indicates a stable and established organization with deep roots and a legacy of serving its members, influencing its long-term perspective and commitment to sustainability.

Team Structure: The role is within the Pensions Department, which is dedicated to exploring, identifying, and validating new opportunities to deliver value. This suggests a forward-thinking, strategic team that operates with a degree of autonomy, likely collaborating closely with various business units, product teams, technology, and operations. The team structure likely involves a mix of specialists in research, design, strategy, and potentially data analytics, all working towards optimizing current operations and building future capabilities.

Methodology: The Pensions Department's mandate to "optimize for today and build for tomorrow" implies a methodology that combines rigorous analysis of current state operations with forward-looking strategic planning and innovation. This would involve leveraging data-driven insights, user-centric design principles, and agile development approaches to identify and implement improvements and new service offerings.

Company Website: https://omers.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's industry and size are crucial for understanding the operational complexity and strategic imperatives. For a Senior Service Designer, this means navigating a regulated environment where user (member/employer) needs must be balanced with business objectives, compliance, and long-term financial sustainability. The Pensions Department's specific mandate suggests a focus on innovation and process optimization within the core pension administration and member services functions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as "Senior," indicating a level of expertise and autonomy expected. A Senior Service Designer is typically responsible for leading complex projects, mentoring junior designers, and influencing strategic decisions. Their work directly impacts the operational efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, contributing to the overall GTM strategy by ensuring services are user-friendly, scalable, and aligned with business goals.

Reporting Structure: The role is within the Pensions Department. While the exact reporting line isn't specified, a Senior Service Designer would typically report to a Service Design Lead, Manager of Experience Design, or a Director within the Pensions or Strategy function. They would work closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, business analysts, developers, and operational leads.

Operations Impact: The Senior Service Designer's impact is significant. By improving end-to-end service experiences, they directly influence member satisfaction, operational efficiency, and potentially customer acquisition and retention in the long term. Their work in designing new service propositions and optimizing existing ones directly supports OMERS' GTM strategy by ensuring services are competitive, meet market needs, and are delivered effectively through optimized operational processes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in specialized areas of service design, user research, or design strategy within the financial services sector. Opportunities to lead larger, more complex initiatives.
• Leadership Development: Potential to move into leadership roles, such as Service Design Lead or Manager, by mentoring junior team members, contributing to team strategy, and potentially managing a small team.
• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain deeper insights into product development, technology implementation, and operational management across different business units within OMERS.
• Practice Building: Contribute to the development and scaling of the service design practice within OMERS, influencing methodologies, tools, and organizational adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior role, the growth opportunities should reflect progression not just in individual contribution but also in strategic influence, mentorship, and potential leadership within the operations and design functions. The emphasis on "scaling service design practices" suggests a path for those interested in shaping how design contributes to business operations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: OMERS operates a hybrid work model, requiring teams to come into the office 2 days per week. This suggests a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work flexibility. The office environment is likely professional, modern, and designed to support collaborative work and employee well-being.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Head Office Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This central location in a major business hub offers accessibility and proximity to other corporate functions.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office space is designed to foster collaboration, with meeting rooms, co-creation spaces, and potentially open-plan areas conducive to team interaction. The hybrid model necessitates intentional use of in-office time for team synchronization and ideation.
• Operations Tools & Technology: While specific tools are mentioned in the "Tools & Technology Stack" section (Figma, Miro), the office environment would likely be equipped with standard corporate technology, high-speed internet, and AV equipment to support presentations and remote collaboration.
• Team Interaction: The 2-day in-office requirement is specifically for fostering connections and facilitating the kind of dynamic collaboration essential for service design, particularly for workshops and co-creation sessions.

Work Schedule: The typical work schedule is around 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility in balancing in-office and remote workdays, allowing for focused individual work alongside collaborative team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model is a key aspect of the work environment. For a role like Service Designer, where collaboration and in-person ideation are crucial, understanding how the 2 days/week in-office are structured and utilized is important. This arrangement aims to balance the benefits of remote work flexibility with the necessity of in-person collaboration for impactful design and operational alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Submit a cover letter, resume, and a link to a relevant work sample/case study (max 3 pages/slides or webpage).
• Initial Screening: Review of application materials, focusing on experience, portfolio quality, and alignment with requirements.
• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: Discussion about experience, approach to service design, problem-solving skills, and understanding of the role's responsibilities. This stage will likely involve behavioral questions and scenario-based inquiries.
• Portfolio Presentation/Workshop: Candidates may be asked to present their work sample in detail, discuss their process, and potentially participate in a simulated workshop or design challenge. This assesses practical skills, communication, and ability to think on their feet.
• Cross-functional/Stakeholder Interview: Meeting with key stakeholders from product, technology, or operations to assess collaboration style, ability to influence, and understanding of business context.
• Final Interview: Conversation with senior leadership to discuss strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Clarity and Conciseness: Ensure your case study is easy to understand, visually appealing, and gets straight to the point. Adhere strictly to the 3-page/slide limit.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Clearly articulate the problem, your process, the methodologies you applied, and the tangible outcomes or impact. Use visuals effectively.
• Highlight Your Role: Specify your individual contribution within any team projects.
• Demonstrate HCD: Explicitly show how you used human-centered design methods (research, synthesis, ideation, testing) to arrive at your solutions.
• Operations & Business Impact: Connect your design solutions to improvements in user experience, operational efficiency, or business objectives. For OMERS, this might mean demonstrating how your design saves time for members or streamlines internal processes.
• Communication Skills: Use this as an opportunity to showcase your ability to present complex information clearly and compellingly.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the OMERS Context: Research OMERS, its mission, its members, and the financial services industry. Consider the unique challenges of designing for a pension fund.
• Service Design Fundamentals: Be prepared to discuss core service design principles, methodologies, and artifacts (journey maps, blueprints).
• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Practice articulating your approach to ambiguous problems, focusing on user needs, business goals, and operational feasibility.
• Stakeholder Management: Think about how you would engage with different stakeholders (members, employees, executives, technical teams) and manage their expectations.
• AI Usage: Be ready to discuss how you use AI tools ethically and effectively in your design process and what unique human perspective you bring.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application instructions are very specific about the portfolio, emphasizing its role in demonstrating problem-solving, HCD application, and communication skills within a limited format. This suggests that the portfolio is a critical gatekeeping element and a primary tool for assessing a candidate's ability to deliver actionable insights and solutions relevant to OMERS' operational and strategic goals.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Service Design & Collaboration: Figma, Miro. These tools are essential for creating service artifacts (journey maps, blueprints), facilitating workshops, and collaborative ideation. Proficiency in these is expected for efficient teamwork and design output.
• Research & Survey Tools: Sprig, or similar survey tools. Useful for gathering qualitative and quantitative user feedback, conducting user interviews, and analyzing survey data to inform design decisions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data-Informed Design: Exposure to data-informed design principles, experimentation, or analytics tools. This suggests that while direct hands-on analytics may not be the primary focus, the ability to interpret data, understand metrics, and use them to guide design and operational improvements is highly valued.

CRM & Automation: While not explicitly mentioned, relevant experience with CRM systems or workflow automation tools can be beneficial, especially for understanding how service designs translate into operational realities and internal processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of Figma, Miro, and Sprig indicates the preferred toolset for collaborative design, ideation, and user research. Familiarity with these tools is crucial for seamless integration into the team's workflow. The note on "data-informed design" suggests that an understanding of how to leverage data to optimize services and operations is a key expectation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Member & Stakeholder Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of OMERS members, employers, and other stakeholders, ensuring their best interests are at the heart of all decisions.
• Purpose-Driven: Working with a clear understanding of OMERS' purpose – to provide a secure pension for its members – and how individual contributions support this overarching mission.
• Collaboration & Connection: Emphasizing teamwork, open communication, and building strong relationships across diverse teams and levels of the organization.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages exploring new opportunities, embracing change, and continuously seeking ways to optimize processes and enhance services.
• Integrity & Trust: Operating with the highest ethical standards, transparency, and accountability, given the nature of managing pension funds.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: A strong emphasis on working collaboratively with product, technology, operations, and business teams to ensure holistic service design and seamless implementation.
• Co-creation and Workshop-based: A preference for interactive sessions where diverse perspectives are brought together to solve problems and co-create solutions.
• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Valuing input derived from user research, data, and stakeholder feedback to inform strategic and operational decisions.
• Open Communication and Feedback: Encouraging a culture where ideas are shared openly, constructive feedback is provided, and learning from both successes and failures is prioritized.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture and values are deeply intertwined with its mission as a pension provider. For a Service Designer, this means understanding that user needs are paramount, but they must be balanced with fiduciary responsibility, long-term financial health, and regulatory compliance. The emphasis on "purpose-driven" and "integrity" suggests a culture that values impact and ethical conduct.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business/Regulatory Constraints: Navigating the complexities of a regulated financial services environment where user-centric designs must still adhere to strict compliance, security, and operational feasibility requirements.
• Driving Organizational Change: Championing and embedding service design as a core discipline across a large, established organization, which can involve overcoming inertia and influencing established ways of working.
• Synthesizing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing and integrating the often-conflicting priorities and perspectives of various stakeholders, from members and employees to senior leadership and technical teams.
• Measuring Impact in a Complex Ecosystem: Demonstrating the tangible ROI and operational benefits of service design initiatives in a long-term focused organization like OMERS, where outcomes may not always be immediate.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Industry Knowledge: Gaining deep expertise in the pension and investment management industry, understanding its unique operational challenges and user needs.
• Strategic Influence: Developing skills in influencing senior leadership and shaping organizational strategy through compelling design advocacy and demonstrable impact.
• Mentorship and Practice Building: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, contribute to defining best practices for service design at OMERS, and potentially help scale the practice.
• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Exposure to advanced topics in product management, agile development methodologies, and operational excellence within a large financial institution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the strategic nature of this role. Success will depend not only on design skills but also on the ability to navigate organizational dynamics, influence stakeholders, and demonstrate business value in a complex, regulated industry. The growth opportunities are tailored to developing a senior professional into a leader and strategic partner.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting stakeholder needs to achieve a successful service design outcome. How did you approach it, and what was the result?" (Assesses stakeholder management, negotiation, and strategic compromise.)
• "Walk us through a complex service you designed or improved. What was the problem, what methodologies did you use, and how did you measure its success in terms of user value and operational efficiency?" (Assesses end-to-end process, HCD application, and impact measurement.)
• "How would you approach introducing or scaling service design principles within a large, established organization like OMERS, particularly one in a regulated industry?" (Assesses change management, advocacy, and strategic thinking.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your research, what do you see as the biggest service design opportunities or challenges for OMERS?" (Assesses research skills, industry understanding, and strategic foresight.)
• "How do you see your role as a Senior Service Designer contributing to OMERS' purpose of providing a secure pension for its members?" (Assesses alignment with company mission and values.)
• "Describe your experience working in hybrid environments. How do you ensure effective collaboration and maintain team cohesion when working both remotely and in the office?" (Assesses adaptability to work model and collaboration skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: Begin with the business context and user problem, then detail your process and solutions, and conclude with the impact and learnings.
• Highlight Your Process: Clearly articulate the specific HCD methods you employed and why they were appropriate for the challenge.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics (e.g., reduction in support tickets, increase in task completion rate, improvement in satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the value of your work. For OMERS, consider how your design impacts member engagement or operational costs.
• Showcase Collaboration: Mention how you worked with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making, alternative approaches, and how you would adapt your solution to OMERS' specific context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview questions are designed to probe for strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and an understanding of how service design contributes to business objectives and operational efficiency within a complex organization. The portfolio presentation is key for demonstrating practical application and communication prowess.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Service Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Complete the online application form through the OMERS Workday portal.
• Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Tailor your cover letter to highlight your most relevant experience in service design, HCD, and any experience within regulated industries. Clearly articulate why you are a strong fit for OMERS and this specific role.
• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly showcases your 5+ years of experience, focusing on achievements related to leading end-to-end service design initiatives, research, and stakeholder management. Use keywords from the job description.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your strongest case study that best demonstrates your ability to solve complex problems using human-centered design and that ideally aligns with financial services or regulated environments. Ensure it is concise (max 3 pages/slides or webpage) and clearly communicates your process and impact. Provide the link as requested.
• Research OMERS: Familiarize yourself with OMERS' mission, values, services, and the financial services industry. Understand their commitment to members and their hybrid work model.
• Prepare for Interviews: Anticipate questions about your design process, problem-solving approach, stakeholder management, and how you contribute to business and operational goals. Practice presenting your portfolio.

⚠️ 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.