Senior Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Service Designer

Company: Scottish Government (Education Scotland)

Location: Glasgow / Livingston / Dundee, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary (6 months initially, with possibility of extension)

Category: Digital Services / GTM Operations (Service Design)

Date Posted: September 16, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (Equivalent to 5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (1 day/week in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the evolution and improvement of the Glow platform through user-centred service design practices, aligning with the Scottish Approach to Service Design.

• Lead agile teams in shaping, prioritizing, and delivering user-centric digital services, defining scope and minimum viable products for national education technology initiatives.

• Manage complex stakeholder relationships and expectations, fostering consensus and collaboration across diverse teams and senior leadership within a government context.

• Champion inclusive design principles and ensure the effective delivery of digital education services across multiple channels, enhancing user experience and educational outcomes.

• Apply strategic thinking to evaluate and improve existing services, identifying innovative solutions that meet both user needs and organizational objectives for digital education.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Service Designer within the "Digital Services, Education Scotland" unit, focusing on the "Future of Glow programme." While not a traditional Revenue or Sales Operations role, the core responsibilities of service design, user-centricity, stakeholder management, and process improvement are highly transferable and critical for optimizing the delivery and adoption of digital services, impacting user engagement and ultimately, educational "revenue" (in terms of successful program outcomes and user adoption). The role requires a strong understanding of government digital frameworks and a strategic approach to service evolution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Service Design Leadership: Lead the design, evaluation, and improvement of user-centred services, particularly the national online platform "Glow," ensuring it meets evolving user and organizational needs within the education sector.

• Agile Delivery & Product Shaping: Work within agile teams to define service scope, prioritize features, and deliver minimum viable products (MVPs) for digital education initiatives, ensuring iterative and flexible delivery.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Management: Effectively manage relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including educators, learners, parents, and senior government officials, facilitating discussions and building consensus to drive design decisions.

• Inclusive Design Advocacy: Champion the principles of inclusive design, ensuring that all services are accessible and effective for a diverse user base across multiple channels and platforms.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Foster strong partnerships and collaborative networks with user researchers, developers, policy advisors, and other disciplines to inform and enhance service design strategies.

• Strategic Policy Integration: Understand and apply knowledge of the broader digital and policy landscape within the Scottish Government context to inform service design and ensure alignment with national objectives.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Utilize evidence, user research, prototyping, and rigorous testing to guide design decisions and facilitate continuous improvement of digital education services.

• Risk Management & Governance: Make informed decisions, balancing risks, user needs, and business requirements, and apply proportionate risk management approaches throughout the design and delivery lifecycle.

• Team Development & Coaching: Foster high-performing, collaborative teams by providing constructive feedback, coaching, and support to fellow designers and team members, promoting effective ways of working.

• Best Practice & Capability Building: Share best practices in service design, contribute to developing design capability within the organization, and champion adherence to service design standards and governance requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities heavily emphasize the "Scottish Approach to Service Design," which implies a structured, evidence-based methodology. The focus on "Glow" as a national platform with over 350,000 monthly users highlights the significant scale and impact of this role. The mention of "civil service code" and "government context" indicates a need for understanding public sector digital frameworks and compliance.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational background or equivalent experience in Design, Computer Science, Information Technology, Public Policy, or a related field is highly beneficial. The emphasis is on demonstrated skills and experience rather than formal qualifications.

Experience:

• Proven experience working within agile development teams, utilizing agile methodologies and tools for iterative service delivery.

• Extensive experience in leading and executing service design projects, with a demonstrated ability to absorb complex, conflicting information and translate it into effective, evidence-based designs.

• Demonstrated experience in designing and improving inclusive, end-to-end services that effectively meet user needs and deliver measurable outcomes.

• Experience in making and recommending decisions, balancing risks, organizational needs, and user requirements in a complex environment.

• Experience in fostering collaboration, building effective teams, and managing stakeholder expectations across diverse groups. Required Skills:

• Service Design Expertise: Deep understanding and practical application of service design principles, methodologies, and frameworks (e.g., the Scottish Approach to Service Design).

• User-Centred Design (UCD): Proven ability to place the user at the heart of the design process, conducting user research, and translating insights into actionable design solutions.

• Agile Methodology: Proficiency in working within agile environments, understanding sprint cycles, backlog prioritization, and iterative development processes.

• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional ability to engage, influence, and manage expectations of diverse stakeholders, from end-users to senior leadership.

• Strategic Thinking: Capacity to apply strategic thinking to service evolution, identifying long-term vision and roadmap for digital platforms.

• Prototyping & Testing: Skilled in creating prototypes (low to high fidelity) and conducting user testing to validate design concepts and gather feedback.

• Inclusive Design: Commitment to and practical experience in designing services that are accessible and equitable for all users.

• Risk Management: Ability to identify, assess, and propose solutions for risks associated with service design and delivery.

• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex challenges in service delivery and user experience.

• Communication & Facilitation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to facilitate workshops, present design concepts, and build consensus.

Preferred Skills:

• User Research: Experience collaborating with or conducting user research to inform design decisions.

• Service Improvement: Proven track record of identifying and implementing improvements to existing services.

• Coaching & Mentoring: Experience in coaching or mentoring junior designers or team members.

• Understanding of Government Digital Frameworks: Familiarity with the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework or similar public sector digital standards.

• Policy Analysis: Ability to understand and integrate public policy considerations into service design.

• Design Artefact Management: Skill in creating and maintaining design artefacts, documentation, and service blueprints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Success Profile" and "Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework" are key indicators. The role requires demonstrated experience aligned with Level 3 behaviours for "Communicating and Influencing," "Making Effective Decisions," and "Delivering at Pace." The emphasis on "user-centred design practice" and "Scottish Approach to Service Design" is paramount.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Service Design Projects: Showcase end-to-end service design projects, detailing the problem, user research insights, design process, solutions, and measurable outcomes.

• Demonstration of Agile Workflow: Include examples of how you've worked within agile teams, illustrating your contribution to sprints, backlog refinement, and iterative delivery.

• User Research & Insights: Present evidence of how user research informed your design decisions, including examples of user personas, journey maps, or research findings.

• Prototyping & Testing Artifacts: Showcase examples of prototypes (e.g., wireframes, interactive mockups) and the results of user testing, demonstrating iterative refinement.

• Service Blueprints & Documentation: Provide examples of service blueprints, flowcharts, or other design artefacts that map out service interactions and touchpoints.

• Stakeholder Management Examples: Describe instances where you successfully managed complex stakeholder relationships and facilitated consensus on design direction.

• Impact & Metrics: Quantify the impact of your design work where possible, using metrics related to user satisfaction, efficiency, adoption, or achievement of service goals.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and optimized existing service workflows to improve efficiency and user experience.

• Implementation & Automation: Evidence of how design solutions were implemented, potentially including considerations for automation or integration with existing systems.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you've used data and user feedback to measure the performance of designed services and identify areas for continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on the "Scottish Approach to Service Design" and the "Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework," a portfolio that clearly articulates the process, methodology, and impact of service design work is crucial. Applicants should be prepared to discuss how they've used evidence and user insights to drive decisions and demonstrate tangible improvements.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the B3 Grade within the Scottish Government and the Senior Service Designer role, the estimated salary range is approximately £49,401 to £59,152 per annum (GBP). This is derived from typical civil service pay scales for this grade and level of responsibility in the UK public sector, adjusted for the specified location.

Benefits:

• Flexible Working Options: The Scottish Government offers a range of flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.

• Flexi-Leave: This specific benefit allows for flexibility in managing working hours and time off, subject to business needs.

• Pension Scheme: Access to a competitive Civil Service pension scheme.

• Generous Annual Leave: Typically includes 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays, increasing with service.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, development, and continuous learning aligned with the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

• Supportive Work Environment: Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and providing a supportive workplace.

Working Hours: This is a full-time role, with standard hours of 35 per week. Flexible working patterns can be proposed and will be assessed against business requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on UK Civil Service pay scales for the B3 grade. Actual salary will be determined by the candidate's current substantive grade if it's a lateral move, or based on the advertised grade if it's a temporary promotion. Benefits are typical for UK Civil Service roles, with specific mention of flexible working and flexi-leave.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Public Sector / Government / Education Technology. Education Scotland operates as an executive agency of the Scottish Government, focused on improving education through technology and policy.

Company Size: Part of the wider Scottish Government, which employs tens of thousands of individuals across various agencies and departments. Education Scotland itself is a significant organization within this structure.

Founded: Education Scotland was formed in 2011, integrating the functions of previous agencies to create a national improvement body for education. The Scottish Government's history is long-standing.

Team Structure:

• Digital Services Unit: This role sits within the Digital Services unit, specifically contributing to the "Glow team."

• Reporting: The Senior Service Designer will work closely with the Service Design Lead and Senior User Researcher. The exact reporting hierarchy would typically fall within a Digital Directorate structure.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaboration is a core tenet, involving agile teams, user researchers, developers, product owners, policy experts, and senior stakeholders across Education Scotland and potentially other government bodies.

Methodology:

• Scottish Approach to Service Design: This is the guiding methodology, emphasizing user-centred, evidence-based, and iterative design processes within a public service context.

• Agile Delivery: Services are developed and improved using agile principles, focusing on rapid iteration, flexibility, and continuous feedback loops.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using data, user research, and testing to inform all design and development choices.

Company Website: https://www.gov.scot/ and https://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is characterized by a commitment to public service, continuous improvement, and adherence to government standards and frameworks. The "Glow" platform serves a vast user base, implying a culture focused on delivering impactful, scalable, and inclusive digital solutions for Scotland's education system.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a Senior level within the User-Centred Design job family, specifically as a Senior Service Designer. It involves leading design initiatives, influencing strategy, managing complex projects, and mentoring others. This is a key role in driving the evolution of a critical national digital platform.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Service Designer will likely report to a Service Design Lead, Head of Digital Services, or a similar leadership role within Education Scotland's Digital Services directorate. They will work collaboratively with a Senior User Researcher and within agile teams.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, directly influencing the user experience and effectiveness of "Glow," Scotland's national online platform for education. Successful service design here can lead to improved educational outcomes, increased digital literacy among students and educators, and more efficient delivery of educational resources and services. This aligns with the broader GTM objective of maximizing user adoption and engagement with digital offerings.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of service design, user research, or digital strategy within the education sector.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into a Service Design Lead or Managerial role, overseeing larger teams and strategic initiatives.

• Cross-Governmental Experience: Opportunity to apply service design skills to other government digital projects, broadening experience across different public sector domains.

• Capability Building: Contribute to shaping and advancing service design practices within the Scottish Government and Education Scotland.

• Temporary Promotion Pathway: The temporary nature of this role (6-18 months) could serve as a stepping stone to permanent senior or lead positions, either within Education Scotland or the wider Civil Service, based on performance and demonstrated capability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lateral move and temporary promotion" aspect is a key growth opportunity, allowing individuals to test a senior role and gain experience with potential for longer-term placement. The role offers a unique chance to impact national education policy and delivery through digital transformation.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid working, requiring 1 day per week in an office. This suggests a collaborative office environment with shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and necessary IT infrastructure. The specific office locations mentioned are Glasgow, Livingston, and Dundee.

Office Location(s):

• Glasgow: A major city with excellent transport links.

• Livingston: A town with a strong business presence.

• Dundee: Another significant city with a growing digital sector.

Candidates are expected to be able to work from one of these locations for their in-office day.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment will likely support collaborative design sessions, workshops, and team meetings, essential for agile and user-centred methodologies.

• Digital Tools & Technology: Access to standard government IT systems, collaboration software, and potentially specialized design and prototyping tools will be provided.

• Team Interaction: Regular face-to-face interaction with colleagues on the "Glow team" and other digital service professionals on the designated office day.

Work Schedule: While the standard is 35 hours per week, the role offers flexible working options, including Flexi-leave, allowing for adjustments to accommodate personal needs while ensuring business requirements are met. This flexibility is crucial for roles that require deep focus and creative problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. The specific locations offer geographical options for candidates within Scotland. The emphasis on flexibility aligns with modern work expectations and supports the demanding nature of senior design roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Expression of Interest (EOI): Initial application requires a written EOI (max 500 words), aligning suitability, skills, and experience with the "Success Profile" (behaviours, experience, technical skills).

• Informal Discussion: Candidates invited for further assessment will participate in an informal discussion, likely with the hiring manager (Emma Pollock) and possibly other team members. This is where the portfolio will be discussed.

• Portfolio Review Focus: The discussion will heavily revolve around the candidate's portfolio, assessing their experience with agile, user-centred design, stakeholder management, and problem-solving. Be prepared to walk through case studies and explain your process and impact.

• Behavioral Assessment: The "Success Profiles" behaviours (Communicating & Influencing, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace) will be assessed throughout the process, particularly during the informal discussion.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tailor to the Role: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects that align with government digital services, education technology, and large-scale platform evolution.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the methodologies used (especially agile and user-centred design), the solutions developed, and the outcomes achieved (quantify where possible).

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your thought process, how you gathered insights, made decisions, managed challenges, and collaborated with others.

• Showcase User Focus: Demonstrate a deep understanding of user needs and how you translated research into impactful design solutions.

• Prepare to Discuss: Be ready to articulate your contributions, defend your design choices, and explain the rationale behind your approach.

Challenge Preparation:

• Scenario-Based Questions: Anticipate questions that present hypothetical service design challenges within an educational or government context. Be prepared to outline your approach.

• Behavioral Questions: Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer questions related to the required behaviours (Communicating & Influencing, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace).

• Understanding of Scottish Approach: Be ready to discuss your familiarity with and application of the Scottish Approach to Service Design and related government digital frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process is focused on assessing practical experience and alignment with specific government frameworks and behaviours. The "informal discussion" is critical, serving as the primary interview stage where the portfolio is central. Applicants must be mindful of the strict policy on AI-generated content in applications.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Service Design Tools: Proficiency in tools for service mapping, journey mapping, prototyping, and wireframing (e.g., Miro, Mural, Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Axure RP).

• Agile Project Management Tools: Experience with Jira, Trello, Asana, or similar platforms for managing backlogs, sprints, and tasks within agile teams.

• Collaboration Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Google Workspace for day-to-day communication and collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics: Experience with tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or similar to understand user behaviour on digital platforms.

• Data Visualization: Ability to interpret and potentially create basic data visualizations to support design decisions and report on service performance.

CRM & Automation: While not a direct CRM role, understanding how services integrate with backend systems, user management platforms, or educational data systems (like those underpinning Glow) would be beneficial.

• Content Management Systems (CMS): Familiarity with CMS platforms used for web content delivery.

• Integration Concepts: Understanding of how different digital services and systems connect is valuable.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific tools are not explicitly listed, but the role implies a need for proficiency in standard digital design and agile project management software. The emphasis is on the ability to use these tools to achieve design outcomes, rather than specific vendor mastery.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centred: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of learners, educators, and parents.

• Collaborative: Fostering strong teamwork and cross-disciplinary partnerships to achieve shared goals.

• Evidence-Based: Making decisions grounded in data, research, and user feedback.

• Inclusive: Ensuring services are accessible and equitable for all users.

• Efficient & Effective: Striving for streamlined processes and high-quality service delivery that achieves intended outcomes.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of constantly seeking ways to enhance services and processes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working seamlessly with user researchers, developers, product owners, and policy experts in agile "squads" or "tribes."

• Open Communication: Encouraging transparency, constructive feedback, and open dialogue within teams and with stakeholders.

• Consensus Building: Facilitating discussions to reach agreement on design directions and priorities, especially among diverse stakeholder groups.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively sharing best practices, learnings, and insights to build collective capability within the design and digital community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is aligned with public service values and modern agile ways of working. The emphasis on collaboration, evidence, and user focus is paramount. The role requires someone who can thrive in a structured yet dynamic government environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scale and Complexity: Designing for a national platform with over 350,000 users, involving diverse needs and technical constraints.

• Stakeholder Diversity: Managing expectations and aligning design vision across a wide range of stakeholders with potentially differing priorities (educators, students, parents, government officials).

• Legacy Systems & Constraints: Navigating existing technical infrastructure and government procurement processes that may present limitations.

• Balancing Innovation with Governance: Implementing modern design practices while adhering to public sector regulations, security standards, and accessibility requirements.

• Temporary Role Transition: Adapting to a temporary position and demonstrating immediate impact to secure potential extensions or future opportunities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Service Design Mastery: Deepen expertise in advanced service design methodologies and the specific context of the Scottish Approach.

• Government Digital Landscape: Gain in-depth understanding of public sector digital transformation, policy, and governance within Scotland and the UK.

• Leadership Skills: Develop coaching, mentoring, and team leadership capabilities through direct experience and potential development programs.

• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Learn from experts in user research, development, policy, and project management within a government setting.

• Networking: Build a valuable professional network within Education Scotland and the wider Scottish Government digital community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in large public sector digital initiatives. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to develop both specialized and transferable skills in a high-impact environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used the 'Scottish Approach to Service Design' or a similar framework to solve a complex problem. What was your process, and what was the outcome?"

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for a platform like Glow, considering the diverse needs of primary school students, secondary students, teachers, and administrators?"

• "Imagine you have conflicting requirements from senior stakeholders regarding a new service. How would you facilitate a discussion to reach a consensus and ensure the design remains user-centred?"

• "Walk us through a significant service design project from your portfolio. Focus on the user research, design decisions, and the measurable impact." Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for Education Scotland and contributing to the 'Glow' platform?"

• "How do you see your skills and experience contributing to the values of user-centricity, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making within our team?"

• "How do you stay updated on best practices in service design and digital transformation, particularly within the public sector?"

• "Describe your experience working within a government or public sector context. What are the unique considerations?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the "so what?" for each project. What problem did you solve, and what was the tangible benefit for users or the organization?

• Showcase Your Process: Be prepared to explain how you arrived at your solutions, highlighting your methodology, research, and decision-making.

• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics wherever possible to demonstrate the success of your designs. If exact metrics aren't available, explain the intended impact or qualitative feedback.

• Be Concise: Given the time constraints of an informal discussion, be ready to present key aspects of your portfolio efficiently.

• Enthusiasm for the Role: Convey genuine interest in the mission of Education Scotland and the opportunity to improve digital education services.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating practical application of service design principles, strong stakeholder management, and an understanding of the public sector digital landscape. The informal discussion is a chance to showcase your personality and collaborative spirit.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit Your Expression of Interest (EOI): Craft a concise (max 500 words) EOI that directly addresses how you meet the "Success Profile" outlined in the job description. Align your experience, skills, and behaviours to the requirements.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest service design projects that best showcase your expertise in user-centred design, agile methodologies, stakeholder management, and impact. Ensure it highlights your process and outcomes.

• Prepare for the Informal Discussion: Anticipate questions about your portfolio, your approach to service design challenges, and your understanding of government digital environments. Practice articulating your experience using specific examples.

• Research Education Scotland & Glow: Understand the organization's mission, the "Glow" platform's purpose and user base, and the broader context of digital education in Scotland. Familiarize yourself with the "Scottish Approach to Service Design."

• Review AI Policy: Be aware of the strict policy regarding the use of AI tools. Ensure all content in your EOI is truthful, factually accurate, and derived from your own experience.

⚠️ 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.