Senior Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Service Designer

Company: Version 1

Location: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh, Belfast, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Digital Transformation / Service Design

Date Posted: 2026-07-27

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design of end-to-end services, from discovery to live, ensuring they are accessible, efficient, and user-centric.

• Drive digital transformation initiatives by aligning digital delivery with policy and operational realities, guiding clients toward evidence-based decisions.

• Lead multidisciplinary teams in shaping service visions, facilitating workshops, and defining the underlying structures, processes, and user journeys.

• Focus on creating sustainable, strategic, and future-proof services by interpreting performance data and defining success metrics.

• Champion the value of service design, effectively communicating its principles and impact to diverse audiences, including those unfamiliar with the discipline.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role of Senior Service Designer is positioned within a "Digital, Data and Cloud" department, indicating a strong focus on technology-driven transformation projects. The emphasis on GOV.UK Service Standard and public sector project examples suggests a need for experience aligning with government digital frameworks and a deep understanding of public service delivery challenges.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead service design activities across the full service lifecycle, from initial discovery and research through to implementation and iteration.

• Map complex current and future state services using tools like service blueprints, journey maps, and ecosystem diagrams, adapting outputs for various stakeholder needs.

• Facilitate and lead engaging workshops with multidisciplinary teams, clients, and stakeholders to co-create solutions and drive consensus.

• Define and articulate clear service visions, ensuring alignment between digital delivery, policy requirements, and operational capabilities.

• Develop and present compelling service design proposals and case studies, clearly communicating the value proposition and impact of design decisions to senior stakeholders.

• Ensure all designed services adhere to accessibility and inclusion standards, designing for diverse user needs and contexts.

• Interpret performance data and user feedback to inform design decisions, identify areas for improvement, and define effective success metrics.

• Collaborate closely with user researchers, content designers, interaction designers, product managers, business analysts, and technical leads to ensure holistic service delivery.

• Navigate ambiguity and complexity, guiding teams to find clear direction and actionable strategies for service improvement.

• Build strong, collaborative partnerships with clients, acting as a trusted advisor and co-creating solutions as one integrated team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on design, and strong facilitation skills. The emphasis on "aligning digital delivery with policy and operational realities" and "helping clients make confident, evidence-based decisions" points to a role that bridges design thinking with business and governance requirements, particularly within the public sector context.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a degree in Design, HCI, Information Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in Service Design, UX Design, or a related field, with a significant portion focused on end-to-end service design.

• Proven experience working within or to the GOV.UK Service Standard or with similar public sector digital frameworks.

• Demonstrated ability to lead design initiatives within agile, multidisciplinary teams.

• Experience in a client-facing or consultancy role, demonstrating strong stakeholder management and co-creation capabilities. Required Skills:

• Service Design Expertise: Deep understanding and practical application of service design principles, methodologies, and tools (e.g., service blueprints, journey maps, ecosystem diagrams).

• Workshop Facilitation: Ability to plan, lead, and facilitate effective workshops for diverse groups, driving collaboration and decision-making.

• Stakeholder Management: Skill in navigating, managing, and influencing a wide range of stakeholders, including those unfamiliar with design processes.

• Systems Thinking: Capacity to understand and design complex systems, considering interdependencies and holistic impact.

• Accessibility & Inclusion: Strong knowledge of designing for accessibility and inclusion across various channels and touchpoints.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity and experience working within agile development environments.

• Data Interpretation: Ability to interpret performance data and user feedback to inform design decisions and define success metrics.

• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to adapt messages to different audiences and mediums.

Preferred Skills:

• Public Sector Experience: Direct experience designing services for government or public sector organizations.

• Design Thinking & Co-design: Proficiency in applying design thinking and co-design techniques.

• Digital Transformation: Experience contributing to significant digital transformation projects.

• Tool Proficiency: Confident with collaborative design tools like Miro and Lucid, with a basic level of proficiency in Figma.

• Content Design Collaboration: Experience working closely with content designers to ensure coherent user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize practical experience and a specific skillset aligned with public sector digital delivery. The mention of "simplifying complexity" and "comfort working in ambiguity" points to a need for candidates who can bring clarity and direction to challenging projects.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a range of end-to-end service design projects, demonstrating the full design lifecycle from discovery to live services.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, key decisions, and measurable outcomes.

• Examples of service blueprints, journey maps, and other system visualization artifacts, tailored to different stakeholder needs.

• Demonstrations of how you've applied accessibility and inclusion principles in your designs.

• Evidence of co-creation and collaborative design processes with multidisciplinary teams and clients. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of leading workshops and facilitating design sprints to drive consensus and define service strategies.

• Examples of how you've interpreted performance data and user research to inform design decisions and iterate on services.

• Documentation demonstrating your ability to align digital service design with policy and operational realities.

• Case studies that highlight your ability to simplify complex systems and communicate them effectively to various audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role, especially given the emphasis on complex public sector projects. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their design process, articulate their decision-making, and demonstrate how their work led to tangible improvements in service delivery and user experience.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a Senior role in the UK, and given the company's size and industry standing, a competitive salary is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Service Designers in London and other major UK cities, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated salary range would be approximately £60,000 - £85,000 per annum. This range can vary based on specific location, candidate experience, and the exact scope of responsibilities.

Benefits:

• Financial:

  • Quarterly Performance-Related Profit Share Scheme
  • Pension with 5% employee-matched contribution
  • Life Assurance
  • Financial advice and Employee Discount scheme

• Professional Development:

  • Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching
  • Dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme
  • Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations (AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, Red Hat)

• Wellbeing & Work-Life Balance:

  • Flexible/remote working options
  • 24 days holiday allowance plus Public Holidays
  • Enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave, and special leave policies
  • Employee Wellbeing schemes: Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme.

• Recognition:

  • Version 1's Annual Excellence Awards & quarterly Star Awards.

• Community:

  • Environment, Social and Community First initiatives, diversity, inclusion, and belonging schemes. Working Hours: The standard working hours are assumed to be 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered to help achieve a healthy work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on current market data for Senior Service Designers in the UK, considering the company's reputation and the hybrid work model. The extensive benefits package indicates a strong focus on employee well-being and professional growth, which are key attractors for senior talent in the tech and consulting sectors.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology and Transformation Solutions, with a strong focus on partnerships with global leaders like Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, and OutSystems. The company also has a significant presence in the public sector.

Company Size: 3300+ employees, a substantial business with £300m/€350m revenue, indicating a stable and established organization with significant project capacity.

Founded: Over 30 years in business, suggesting a deep history, established processes, and a wealth of experience.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Service Designer will likely be part of a growing "design capability" within the "Digital, Data and Cloud" department.

• They will work within multidisciplinary teams, collaborating closely with roles such as content designers, interaction designers, product managers, user researchers, business analysts, and technical leads.

• The reporting structure is not explicitly detailed but is typical for a senior individual contributor role, likely reporting into a Design Lead, Head of Digital, or a similar senior management position within the digital transformation practice. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasizes interpreting performance data and user feedback to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Agile & Multidisciplinary Teams: Operations are conducted within agile frameworks, promoting close collaboration and iterative development.

• Systems Thinking: A core approach to understanding and designing complex, interconnected services.

• User-Centricity: Services are designed around real user needs, ensuring accessibility and usability.

• Co-creation: A strong emphasis on working collaboratively with clients and stakeholders to develop solutions.

Company Website: Version 1 Careers - Note: The provided URL was for jobs.smartrecruiters.com; the company website is inferred from the domain.

📝 Enhancement Note: Version 1 appears to be a mature, values-driven organization that invests in its employees. The "Great Place to Work" accolades suggest a positive and supportive work environment, which is crucial for senior roles requiring high levels of autonomy and client interaction. The company's focus on technology partnerships and digital transformation, especially within the public sector, provides a rich context for a Senior Service Designer.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Individual Contributor role. It signifies a level of expertise and experience where the individual is expected to lead complex design initiatives, mentor more junior team members, and influence strategic direction within projects. The scope extends beyond individual tasks to shaping service visions and client strategies.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Service Designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Head of Digital, or a similar senior manager within the Digital, Data and Cloud unit. They will function as a key member of project-based multidis