Senior Service Designer – IT Transformation

NCS Australia
Full-timeMelbourne, Australia

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Service Designer – IT Transformation

Company: NCS Australia

Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (with potential for Melbourne, Australia)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Service Design / IT Transformation Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-11

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

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

  • Drive the design of human-centred, end-to-end service journeys within a large-scale IT transformation initiative.

  • Translate complex systems, platforms, and processes into intuitive and seamless user experiences for both customers and employees.

  • Leverage advanced Figma skills to create compelling journey maps and service artefacts that foster stakeholder alignment.

  • Collaborate extensively with technology, digital, and operations stakeholders to influence outcomes and embed improved ways of working.

  • Design scalable, future-ready services by connecting frontstage experiences with backend processes in a dynamic enterprise environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Service Designer," the emphasis on IT Transformation, complex enterprise environments, and collaboration with technology/operations suggests a strong operational component. The role requires not just front-end design but also an understanding of backend processes and how they impact the overall service delivery, aligning it with revenue and GTM operations by ensuring seamless customer and employee experiences that support business objectives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Lead the design and development of comprehensive service blueprints and journey maps that clearly articulate user interactions and backend operational flows.

  • Conduct user research and analysis to identify pain points and opportunities for service improvement within IT transformation projects.

  • Facilitate workshops and co-creation sessions with diverse stakeholder groups (including technology, digital, and operations teams) to gather insights and drive consensus.

  • Develop and present service design artefacts, including user personas, service flows, and system diagrams, to communicate design intent and operational requirements.

  • Champion human-centred design principles and design thinking methodologies throughout the transformation lifecycle to ensure user needs are prioritized.

  • Collaborate with IT and operations teams to ensure the technical feasibility and operational viability of designed services.

  • Define and document service standards, processes, and guidelines to support the successful implementation and ongoing management of new services.

  • Contribute to the strategic vision for service delivery, identifying opportunities for innovation and efficiency gains through service design.

  • Evaluate existing service delivery models and propose solutions for modernization and optimization in line with IT transformation goals.

  • Ensure seamless integration between frontstage customer-facing elements and backend operational processes to deliver consistent and high-quality experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities have been expanded to emphasize the operational aspects of service design, including process mapping, stakeholder engagement across operational teams, and ensuring the integration of frontstage and backend processes. This aligns the role more closely with the operational impact of service design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Technology, Business, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior role. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in service design, user experience design, or a related field, with a significant portion focused on complex enterprise environments or large-scale transformation initiatives.

Required Skills:

  • Proven experience delivering impactful service design outcomes within complex enterprise or large-scale IT transformation programs.

  • Advanced proficiency in Figma, including its application in creating detailed journey maps, service blueprints, and visual storytelling artefacts.

  • Demonstrated ability to simplify highly complex systems, platforms, and processes into clear, intuitive, and user-centric experiences.

  • Strong stakeholder engagement, communication, and influencing skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse cross-functional teams (e.g., IT, digital, operations, business units).

  • Expertise in designing end-to-end services that encompass both customer-facing interactions and critical backend operational processes.

  • Proven ability to navigate and thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous, and evolving environments, driving clarity and action.

  • Solid grounding in human-centred design methodologies and established design thinking practices.

  • Experience in creating and presenting compelling service artefacts that drive stakeholder alignment and decision-making. Preferred Skills:

  • Experience within the telecommunications industry or other complex, high-volume service environments.

  • Prior involvement in large-scale IT transformation or modernization initiatives.

  • Familiarity with agile development methodologies and their integration with service design processes.

  • Understanding of IT Service Management (ITSM) frameworks and principles.

  • Experience with user research techniques beyond journey mapping, such as usability testing and ethnographic studies.

  • Ability to translate operational requirements into actionable design recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level has been inferred from the "Senior" title and the scope of responsibilities. The preferred skills highlight areas that would make a candidate particularly valuable in an operational context, such as ITSM and agile integration.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Showcase a minimum of 2-3 complex enterprise or transformation projects demonstrating end-to-end service design.

  • Clearly illustrate the application of human-centred design and design thinking methodologies.

  • Detail the process of translating complex technical/operational systems into user-friendly experiences.

  • Highlight proficiency in Figma for creating detailed journey maps, service blueprints, and other operational artefacts.

  • Demonstrate strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration throughout the design process.

  • Include examples of how frontstage experiences were successfully integrated with backend processes.

  • Quantify impact where possible, focusing on efficiency gains, user satisfaction improvements, or successful transformation outcomes. Process Documentation:

  • Provide examples of detailed journey maps that include frontstage interactions and backend operational steps.

  • Showcase service blueprints that map user journeys to internal processes, systems, and organizational responsibilities.

  • Include examples of process flow diagrams and system interaction models created to support service design.

  • Demonstrate how design decisions were informed by operational constraints and requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section emphasizes the need for a portfolio that demonstrates not just design output but also the process of design within an operational and transformation context, with a focus on tangible artefacts like service blueprints and process flows.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

For a Senior Service Designer in Sydney, Australia, with 5-10 years of experience in IT Transformation, the estimated annual salary range is AUD $140,000 - $190,000. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in major Australian cities, considering the complexity of IT transformation projects and the highly specialized skills required.

Benefits:

  • Paid Parental Leave: Comprehensive support for new parents.

  • Well-being Initiatives: Programs and resources focused on employee health and mental wellness.

  • Discounted Health Insurance: Access to subsidized health insurance plans.

  • Product and Service Discounts: Opportunities to save on various offerings.

  • Performance Rewards: Recognition and incentives for high performance.

  • Career Development Programs: Structured pathways for professional growth.

  • Industry and Partner Training: Access to specialized training and certifications.

  • AI-driven Learning Platform: Personalized learning experiences powered by artificial intelligence.

  • Potential for regular recognition and rewards for high performance. Working Hours:

  • Standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week.

  • While the role is on-site, a degree of flexibility may be available, subject to operational needs and team agreements.

📝 Enhancement Note: A regional salary estimate has been provided based on typical market rates for senior-level design and IT transformation roles in Sydney, Australia. The benefits listed are directly sourced from the provided job description.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Services / IT Consulting. NCS Australia operates within the technology services sector, focusing on delivering digital transformation and technology solutions to clients. This industry context implies a fast-paced environment driven by innovation, client needs, and the constant evolution of technology.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (implied by "large-scale IT transformation," "complex, enterprise environment," and the structure of NCS as a global technology company). This size suggests well-defined processes, potentially multiple layers of management, and opportunities for cross-functional collaboration across various departments and projects.

Founded: (Not specified in provided data, but NCS as a whole has a long history, with roots tracing back to Singapore Technologies Engineering). The company's established presence suggests stability and a depth of experience in the technology sector.

Team Structure:

  • The role likely sits within a dedicated Digital Applications or Transformation team, focusing on modernizing service delivery.

  • Reporting structure is expected to be clear, likely to a Service Design Lead, Head of Digital Transformation, or a senior IT Operations Manager.

  • Close collaboration with IT infrastructure, application development teams, business analysts, project managers, and operations specialists is crucial. Methodology:

  • Emphasis on Human-Centred Design and Design Thinking as core methodologies for service creation.

  • Application of Agile principles for iterative development and rapid prototyping of service solutions.

  • Data-driven decision-making, utilizing user feedback and operational metrics to inform design choices.

  • Collaborative approach, involving stakeholders from various departments to ensure holistic solutions.

Company Website: https://www.ncs.co/en-au/

📝 Enhancement Note: Inferences about company culture and team structure are made based on the "Senior Service Designer – IT Transformation" title and the context of a large technology services firm like NCS. The focus is on how this environment impacts the operations and collaborative aspects of the role.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role, requiring significant expertise and autonomy. It is positioned to influence strategy and design within major transformation projects, bridging the gap between user needs and operational execution. The role is central to ensuring that IT transformations deliver tangible improvements in service delivery and operational efficiency.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Service Designer will likely report to a more senior leader within the Digital Applications or IT Transformation division, such as a Service Design Manager, Head of Digital Transformation, or a Director of Operations. They will collaborate extensively with project teams, technology leads, and business stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on the efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction of IT services. By designing seamless end-to-end journeys, the Senior Service Designer directly contributes to:

  • Reduced operational costs: Through streamlined processes and intuitive systems, reducing the need for extensive support and training.

  • Increased employee productivity: By providing employees with efficient tools and workflows.

  • Enhanced customer satisfaction: Through intuitive and reliable service delivery.

  • Successful IT transformation outcomes: By ensuring that new technologies and platforms are adopted smoothly and meet user needs.

  • Risk mitigation: By designing robust and well-integrated services that minimize errors and downtime.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Leadership in Service Design: Potential to lead larger or more complex transformation initiatives, mentor junior designers, and contribute to the strategic direction of service design within NCS Australia.

  • Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas such as ITSM integration, digital service operations, or transformation strategy.

  • Cross-functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into roles in broader IT strategy, program management, or operational leadership, leveraging a deep understanding of user needs and operational execution.

  • Industry Recognition: Contributing to high-profile transformation projects can lead to industry recognition and further career advancement.

  • Continuous Learning: Access to extensive training programs and an AI-driven learning platform to stay abreast of the latest trends in service design, technology, and operational best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis focuses on how the role contributes to operational efficiency and transformation success, and outlines potential career paths within operations and related fields.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "On-site," indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This suggests opportunities for in-person collaboration, team building, and direct interaction with colleagues and stakeholders.

Office Location(s): Primarily Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with potential opportunities or collaboration with teams in Melbourne, Australia. This indicates a working environment within major Australian business hubs.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on collaboration with technology, digital, and operations teams suggests a dynamic workspace where cross-functional interaction is common. Expect team meetings, workshops, and brainstorming sessions.

  • Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (especially Figma) and potentially other project management and collaboration software. The IT transformation context implies a modern technology infrastructure.

  • Team Interaction: Opportunities to work closely with a diverse team, including designers, IT professionals, business analysts, and operational specialists, fostering a rich learning and exchange environment.

Work Schedule:

  • The standard is likely a 5-day work week, approximately 40 hours.

  • While on-site, there may be some flexibility in start/end times depending on team needs and project demands, but core working hours will be expected for effective collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site nature of the role is highlighted, along with the collaborative aspects of the workspace and the operational implications of working within a major business hub.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess suitability for the Senior Service Designer role and IT transformation context.

  • First Interview: Likely with a hiring manager or lead designer to discuss your experience, design philosophy, and understanding of human-centred design and transformation. Expect questions about your approach to complex problems and stakeholder management.

  • Portfolio Presentation/Workshop: A key stage where you will present a selection of your work, focusing on 1-2 complex projects. Be prepared to discuss your process, the challenges faced, the operational context, and the impact of your designs. You may be asked to complete a short design exercise or workshop.

  • Stakeholder/Team Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders from technology, digital, and operations teams to assess collaboration skills, ability to influence, and cultural fit.

  • Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss strategic alignment and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Focus on Transformation: Select projects that clearly demonstrate your experience in large-scale transformations or complex enterprise environments.

  • Show, Don't Just Tell: Use Figma to create clear, compelling visuals. Include journey maps, service blueprints, and process flows that illustrate end-to-end service design.

  • Highlight Operational Integration: Explicitly detail how you connected frontstage user experiences with backend processes and operational requirements.

  • Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to show the results of your work – e.g., improvements in user satisfaction, efficiency gains, or successful adoption rates.

  • Tell the Story: Structure your presentation around the problem, your process, your solution, and the outcome. Explain your decision-making, especially in areas of ambiguity or stakeholder conflict.

  • Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Be ready to showcase your advanced skills in Figma, including its use for complex diagramming and collaborative design.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Design Thinking Scenario: Be prepared for a hypothetical scenario where you need to design a service for a complex IT challenge. Focus on your structured approach, user empathy, and consideration of operational feasibility.

  • Stakeholder Alignment Exercise: Anticipate questions about how you would gain buy-in from diverse stakeholders with competing priorities.

  • Process Simplification: Be ready to discuss how you would simplify a complex, existing IT process for better user experience and operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides a structured approach to preparing for the interview process, with specific advice tailored to showcasing operational understanding and Figma proficiency within a transformation context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: Essential for journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and creating comprehensive service artefacts. Advanced proficiency is a must.

  • Miro/Mural (or similar): Likely used for collaborative whiteboarding, brainstorming, and workshop facilitation.

  • Project Management Software (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello): To manage design tasks, track progress, and collaborate with development and operations teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • User Analytics Platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics): To understand user behaviour and track the performance of designed services.

  • Survey Tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics): For gathering user feedback and measuring satisfaction.

  • BI Tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI): Potentially used to visualize operational data and service performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

  • CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics): Understanding how service design integrates with CRM for customer data and experience management.

  • Workflow Automation Tools: Familiarity with concepts of automating backend processes to support seamless service delivery.

  • IT Service Management (ITSM) Tools (e.g., ServiceNow, BMC Helix): Understanding how service design interacts with IT support, incident management, and change management processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are directly relevant to service design and IT transformation, with a particular emphasis on Figma and an understanding of how design integrates with operational systems like ITSM and CRM.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Human-Centred: A core value driving all design decisions, ensuring that technology and processes serve people effectively.

  • Collaboration: Strong emphasis on working together across departments to achieve shared goals, particularly in complex transformation projects.

  • Innovation: A culture that encourages new ideas and creative problem-solving to improve service delivery and business outcomes.

  • Excellence: A commitment to delivering high-quality, impactful solutions that meet and exceed client and user expectations.

  • Efficiency: A drive to optimize processes and systems to achieve better outcomes with fewer resources.

  • Purposeful Work: A focus on making a meaningful impact through technology and service design.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with diverse teams, requiring strong communication and negotiation skills to align different perspectives and operational needs.

  • Process Review & Feedback: A culture that encourages open discussion and feedback on designs and processes to ensure continuous improvement.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Opportunities to share best practices in service design and learn from colleagues across technology, digital, and operations domains.

  • Agile & Iterative: A collaborative approach that embraces iterative development, allowing for flexibility and adaptation based on feedback and changing requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture and values are inferred from NCS Australia's stated mission and the nature of an IT transformation role, focusing on how these values translate into operational practices and collaborative efforts.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Navigating Ambiguity: Working within a large-scale IT transformation means dealing with evolving requirements, complex interdependencies, and a degree of uncertainty. This requires adaptability and strong problem-solving skills.

  • Balancing User Needs with Technical/Operational Constraints: Designing ideal user experiences while ensuring they are feasible, scalable, and align with existing or planned backend operational systems and IT infrastructure.

  • Stakeholder Management: Influencing and gaining buy-in from diverse stakeholders with varying levels of technical understanding and priorities.

  • Translating Complexities: Effectively communicating intricate technical and operational details in a way that is understandable and actionable for all parties involved.

  • Measuring Impact: Quantifying the success of service design interventions in a transformation context, particularly in terms of operational efficiency and user adoption.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Specialized Training: Access to industry and partner training programs to deepen expertise in service design, UX, IT transformation, and related operational disciplines.

  • AI-Driven Learning Platform: Personalized learning paths to acquire new skills and stay current with emerging technologies and methodologies.

  • Mentorship: Opportunities to be mentored by senior leaders or to mentor junior team members, fostering leadership and knowledge transfer.

  • Cross-Functional Exposure: Gaining broad experience by working with various departments, which can open doors to new career paths within NCS Australia.

  • Capability Fingerprint: Utilizing NCS's internal framework for identifying and developing skills relevant to career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are framed around the operational realities of IT transformation, and growth opportunities are linked to developing specialized skills and leadership within the operations and technology domains.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to simplify a highly complex technical system or process into a user-friendly experience. What was your approach, and what were the key operational considerations?"

  • "How do you ensure that frontstage service designs are seamlessly integrated with backend operational processes and IT systems? Provide an example."

  • "Walk me through a challenging stakeholder engagement scenario where you had to influence diverse groups (e.g., IT, business, operations) to adopt a new service design. What strategies did you employ?"

  • "How would you approach designing a service for a large-scale IT transformation where requirements are still evolving and there is significant ambiguity?"

  • "What metrics do you use to measure the success of a service design, particularly in terms of operational efficiency and user adoption?" Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about NCS Australia and our approach to technology services and IT transformation?"

  • "How do you see your service design skills contributing to NCS Australia's mission of 'making tomorrow together'?"

  • "Describe your experience working in an enterprise environment. How do you adapt your design process to such contexts?"

  • "How do you foster a collaborative and human-centred approach within a project team?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Curate Strategically: Select 1-2 projects that best showcase your experience in complex enterprise transformations and highlight your Figma skills.

  • Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate the business problem, the operational context, the user needs, your design process (emphasizing human-centred and operational integration), the specific Figma artefacts you created, the challenges you overcame, and the measurable impact or outcomes.

  • Showcase End-to-End Thinking: Ensure your presentation clearly demonstrates how you connect frontstage user interactions with backend processes, systems, and operational workflows.

  • Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, tools used, stakeholder feedback, and how you handled trade-offs between user experience and operational constraints.

  • Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize instances where you successfully collaborated with IT, digital, and operations teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview questions and preparation tips are designed to probe for operational understanding, strategic thinking, and the ability to articulate complex design processes and their impact within an IT transformation context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent Senior Service Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on SmartRecruiters.

  • Tailor your resume: Highlight keywords such as "Service Design," "IT Transformation," "Figma," "Human-Centred Design," "Journey Mapping," "Process Optimization," "Stakeholder Engagement," and any experience in telecommunications or complex service environments. Quantify achievements where possible.

  • Prepare your portfolio: Select projects that clearly demonstrate your ability to design end-to-end services, integrate frontstage with backend processes, and navigate complex enterprise environments. Ensure your Figma skills are evident.

  • Practice your portfolio presentation: Be ready to articulate your design process, decision-making, and the impact of your work, with a specific focus on how your designs support operational efficiency and transformation goals.

  • Research NCS Australia: Understand their values, mission, and recent projects, particularly in the digital transformation space. Think about how your skills align with their stated commitment to innovation and collaboration.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Candidates must have proven experience delivering service design outcomes in complex enterprise environments and advanced proficiency in Figma. Experience in telecommunications or high-volume service industries and a strong grounding in human-centred design methodologies are highly regarded.