Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer

Company: Birmingham City Council

Location: Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full time

Category: Service Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-19T09:56:55

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is focused on the design and continuous improvement of public services, ensuring they are user-centred, accessible, and inclusive for residents and businesses.

• You will be instrumental in translating user needs and service problems into improved processes, systems, and experiences within a multidisciplinary team environment.

• The position requires applying user-centred design methodologies to iterative service development and contributing to the overall product function's success.

• As a Service Designer, you will champion human-centred design principles and collaborate to foster a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the digital and technology services department.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Service Designer," the description emphasizes the operational aspects of improving end-to-end services, processes, and experiences that span people, systems, and technology. This aligns it closely with GTM Operations and the broader operational improvement goals of a public sector organization. The focus on multidisciplinary teams, iterative improvement, and user-centred design is a strong indicator of an operations-focused role within a design context.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design and enhancement of end-to-end services, operating under the guidance of senior practitioners to ensure strategic alignment and operational efficiency.

• Support discovery, research, and design activities to deeply understand user needs and identify critical service problems, informing operational improvements.

• Map existing services, identify key pain points, and actively co-design improved user experiences and internal processes with both end-users and internal stakeholders.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Developers, Researchers, and other Service Teams within multidisciplinary environments to ensure seamless integration of designed services.

• Apply user-centred design methods to facilitate rapid testing of ideas, accelerate learning cycles, and drive iterative improvements across service delivery.

• Champion and embed accessible, inclusive, and human-centred design principles throughout all service design and improvement initiatives.

• Continuously learn from feedback, performance data, and evidence to refine and enhance your design practice and its operational impact.

• Actively contribute to the wider design and product community by sharing learnings, best practices, and supporting collaborative working models.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong operational focus on process improvement, user experience optimization, and cross-functional collaboration, which are core tenets of GTM and Revenue Operations. The emphasis on "end-to-end services," "identifying pain points," and "iterative improvements" points to a direct impact on operational efficiency and user satisfaction.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Formal education in Design, HCI, UX, or a related field is beneficial but not strictly required if demonstrable experience exists.

Experience: 2-5 years of experience in service design, user-centred design, UX/UI design, or a closely related discipline, with a proven track record of contributing to service improvement initiatives.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrable experience or strong exposure to service design principles and user-centred design methodologies.

• Understanding of working within agile development environments and collaborating effectively in multidisciplinary teams.

• Proficient design skills, coupled with excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, enabling confident idea contribution and collaboration.

• A thoughtful, reflective, and evidence-based approach, with the ability to challenge assumptions and drive informed decision-making.

• A strong commitment to prioritizing user experience in the design and development of services and products.

• Familiarity with user research techniques and the ability to translate findings into actionable design improvements.

• Experience in service mapping, journey mapping, and identifying operational bottlenecks. Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the public sector or a government organization, understanding its unique operational and user landscape.

• Familiarity with design thinking frameworks and their application in service improvement.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive design practices.

• Experience with co-design workshops and participatory design methods.

• Ability to use design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Miro) to visualize service flows and user interactions.

• Understanding of how technology systems and processes interact to deliver a service.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level is inferred from the salary range and the description positioning it as a role for someone looking to "grow their skills" and work "under the guidance of senior practitioners," suggesting a mid-level position. The required skills are directly extracted from the "About You" section and translated into operations-relevant competencies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct projects demonstrating end-to-end service design or significant user-centred design contributions.

• Clearly articulate your role and specific contributions within each project, emphasizing process mapping, user journey analysis, and problem identification.

• Highlight how you applied user research and feedback to inform design decisions and drive service improvements.

• Include examples of how you collaborated with multidisciplinary teams (developers, product managers, researchers) to bring designs to fruition.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how designed services integrate with underlying systems and technology, even if indirectly.

• Present evidence of iterative design processes, including testing, feedback loops, and subsequent refinements. Process Documentation:

• A section detailing your approach to mapping complex services and identifying operational inefficiencies or user pain points.

• Examples of how you have visualized service flows, user journeys, or system interactions to communicate design concepts and operational impacts.

• Documentation illustrating how you have contributed to testing and validating service designs, and how this learning was integrated into subsequent iterations.

• Evidence of how you champion user-centred and inclusive design principles in your documented processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: A portfolio is crucial for design roles. This section infers typical requirements for a Service Designer role, focusing on demonstrating tangible output, process understanding, and collaborative impact, all of which are vital for assessing operational effectiveness and design thinking.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £35,412 to £44,075 per annum.

Benefits:

• Career Development: Opportunities for professional growth and skill enhancement.

• Coaching: Access to coaching to support personal and professional development.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that actively encourages and supports ongoing learning and process optimization.

• Flexible Working Options: The council offers flexible working arrangements, acknowledging the need for work-life balance.

• Pension Scheme: Contribution to a defined benefit pension scheme (typical for UK public sector roles).

• Annual Leave: Generous annual leave entitlement.

• Access to Training: Opportunities for further training and development relevant to service design and public sector operations.

Working Hours: 36.5 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement subject to service needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly stated in the job description. Benefits are inferred from common public sector offerings and the explicit mention of "coaching," "continuous improvement," and "flexible working options." The working hours are also provided.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Government & Public Sector, Local Authority. Birmingham City Council is one of Europe's largest local authorities, serving a diverse population and managing a wide array of public services.

Company Size: Large enterprise, with an extensive workforce dedicated to serving the citizens of Birmingham. This scale implies complex interdependencies between services and a significant impact potential for operational improvements.

Founded: Birmingham City Council has a long history, evolving with the city it serves, indicating a stable and established organizational structure with a deep understanding of public service delivery.

Team Structure:

• Product Function: You will be part of an expanding Product function within the Digital & Technology Services department. This suggests a modern, agile approach to service delivery and digital transformation.

• Multidisciplinary Teams: The role emphasizes working within multidisciplinary teams, implying close collaboration with product managers, developers, researchers, and other service specialists.

• Reporting Structure: Likely reporting to a Senior Service Designer, Head of Product, or a similar leadership role within Digital & Technology Services, with a clear line of sight to senior management.

Methodology:

• User-Centred Design: A core methodology, ensuring that all service design and improvement efforts are grounded in understanding and meeting user needs.

• Agile & Iterative: The team operates in agile environments, utilizing iterative approaches to test, learn, and refine services quickly.

• Co-design & Collaboration: Emphasis on working collaboratively with users and colleagues to co-create solutions.

• Data-Driven Improvement: Learning from feedback, data, and evidence is a key component for continuous service enhancement.

Company Website: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: Information about Birmingham City Council's size, industry, and its expanding Product function is drawn from the job description and general knowledge of large public sector organizations. The focus on "expanding Product function" and "Digital & Technology Services" indicates a forward-thinking environment within a traditional public sector body.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Service Designer, suitable for individuals with foundational experience looking to deepen their expertise in public service design and operational improvement. It offers a clear path for growth from supporting senior practitioners to leading design initiatives.

Reporting Structure: You will report to a senior member of the Product or Design leadership team within Digital & Technology Services. This structure allows for mentorship and exposure to strategic decision-making processes related to service delivery and digital transformation.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the efficiency, accessibility, and user satisfaction of public services. By improving end-to-end processes and user experiences, you will contribute to better outcomes for residents, businesses, and council colleagues, driving operational effectiveness and citizen engagement.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of service design, such as accessibility, inclusive design, or complex service mapping.

• Leadership Development: Progress to Senior Service Designer roles, taking ownership of larger projects and mentoring junior team members.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gain broader experience by working across various public service domains and collaborating with diverse teams, enhancing your understanding of operational interdependencies.

• Formal Training & Certifications: Access to learning and development opportunities, including potential support for relevant industry certifications or advanced training in design and product management.

• Contribution to Transformation: Play a key role in the ongoing digital transformation of one of the UK's largest local authorities, contributing to significant, impactful change.

📝 Enhancement Note: Career progression and impact are inferred from the mid-level positioning, the team structure, and the nature of public service improvement. The growth opportunities are typical for roles within large, forward-thinking public sector organizations undergoing digital transformation.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work arrangement, with a primary base at the Council House in Birmingham (Victoria Square, B1 1BB). This indicates a blend of remote work flexibility and in-office collaboration.

Office Location(s): The main office is centrally located in Birmingham, accessible via public transport. Specific details on hybrid attendance will be subject to service needs.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role necessitates working within multidisciplinary teams, fostering a collaborative and communicative atmosphere. Expect regular team meetings, workshops, and co-design sessions.

• Tools and Technology: Access to modern design and productivity tools will be provided, supporting the design and iterative improvement of services. This likely includes access to relevant software for research, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with experienced designers, product managers, researchers, and developers, facilitating knowledge sharing and continuous learning.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (36.5 per week) with a hybrid model, allowing for flexibility in balancing remote and office-based work, tailored to operational requirements and team collaboration needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature and office location are derived from the job description. The description of the workspace context is based on standard practices for design and product teams within large organizations, emphasizing collaboration and access to necessary tools.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: CV review against key requirements. Candidates are reminded that attaching a CV is mandatory.

• First Interview: Likely to assess your experience in service design, user-centred methods, and understanding of agile working. Expect questions about your approach to problem-solving and collaboration. You may be asked to briefly discuss a relevant project from your CV.

• Second Interview/Assessment: This stage might involve a practical exercise or a more in-depth discussion of your portfolio. You may be asked to present a case study of a service design project, focusing on your process, challenges, and outcomes. Expect questions about how you handle feedback, engage stakeholders, and contribute to team success.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and long-term potential within the council's digital transformation efforts.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills in service design, user research, process mapping, and iterative improvement. Prioritize projects with clear problem statements, defined processes, and demonstrable outcomes.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the methods used, key insights gained, design solutions, and the impact or results achieved. Emphasize the "why" and "how" behind your decisions.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly mention how you worked with multidisciplinary teams, stakeholders, and users. Showcase your ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.

• Focus on Process & Impact: Demonstrate your understanding of the service design process from discovery to iteration. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., improved user satisfaction, reduced service errors, increased efficiency).

• Accessibility & Inclusivity: If applicable, highlight how you incorporated accessibility and inclusive design principles into your work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Service Mapping Exercise: Be prepared to map a hypothetical or real-world service, identifying pain points and suggesting improvements.

• User Needs Analysis: Practice articulating user needs based on limited information and how you would go about validating them.

• Design Thinking Scenarios: Be ready to discuss how you would approach a specific public service challenge using design thinking principles.

• Stakeholder Management: Prepare to discuss how you would engage with diverse stakeholders (citizens, internal departments, technical teams) to gather requirements and gain buy-in.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section infers a typical interview process for a design role within a public sector organization. The emphasis on portfolio presentation and case studies is standard for assessing design capabilities and operational impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar for creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Collaboration Platforms: Experience with tools such as Miro, Mural, or similar for remote whiteboarding, co-design workshops, and process mapping.

• User Research Tools: Familiarity with tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing.

• Project Management Software: Experience with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing tasks within agile development cycles.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary analytics role, an understanding of how to interpret user feedback, service usage data, and performance metrics to inform design decisions is valuable. Familiarity with basic data analysis principles and reporting dashboards would be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• No specific CRM or automation tools are listed as primary requirements, but an understanding of how service design interfaces with underlying CRM systems and automated workflows to deliver a seamless user experience is advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are standard for service designers and UX professionals. The focus is on design and collaboration tools, with an acknowledgment of the need to understand how designs integrate with broader systems.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centred: A fundamental value, ensuring that the needs and experiences of citizens and internal users are at the forefront of all design and operational decisions.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on teamwork, cross-functional partnership, and shared problem-solving.

• Continuous Improvement: A commitment to learning, adapting, and consistently refining services and processes based on feedback and data.

• Inclusivity & Accessibility: Dedication to creating services that are usable by everyone, regardless of ability or background.

• Impact & Purpose: A drive to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of people in Birmingham through effective public services.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with individuals from various disciplines (product management, development, research, policy, operations), fostering a cohesive approach to service delivery.

• Open Communication: A culture that encourages open dialogue, constructive feedback, and transparent sharing of ideas and challenges.

• Iterative & Experimental: A willingness to try new approaches, test hypotheses, and learn from both successes and failures in a supportive environment.

• Co-creation: Active engagement in workshops and collaborative sessions to build solutions together.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values and collaboration styles are inferred from the job description's emphasis on user-centred design, multidisciplinary teams, continuous improvement, and the public sector mission.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Public Services: Navigating the intricate landscape of public service delivery, diverse user needs, and established organizational processes can be challenging.

• Balancing User Needs with Constraints: Effectively balancing the ideal user experience with technical limitations, budget constraints, and policy requirements.

• Driving Change in a Large Organization: Implementing new design approaches and fostering adoption of user-centred practices within a large, established public sector entity.

• Measuring Impact: Quantifying the success and operational impact of service design interventions can require robust data collection and analysis.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Exposure to Diverse Services: Gain experience across a wide range of public services, deepening your understanding of the operational complexities within a local government context.

• Mentorship: Benefit from guidance from senior practitioners and leaders within the Product and User-Centred Design function.

• Skill Enhancement: Opportunities to develop expertise in areas such as advanced user research, service blueprinting, accessibility standards, and agile service delivery.

• Contribution to Digital Transformation: Be at the forefront of transforming how public services are delivered, providing a unique and impactful career experience.

• Networking: Connect with a broad network of professionals across Birmingham City Council and potentially within the wider public sector design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are typical for roles in large public sector organizations undergoing transformation. Growth opportunities are aligned with the organization's stated goals and the nature of the role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used user research to identify a significant service problem. How did you translate those insights into actionable design improvements?" (Focus on your process, data analysis, and problem-solving approach).

• "How would you approach mapping an end-to-end public service, and what methods would you use to identify pain points for both users and internal staff?" (Demonstrate your understanding of service mapping and operational efficiency).

• "Imagine you're working in a multidisciplinary team and need to gain buy-in for a user-centred design decision that faces resistance. How would you navigate this situation?" (Showcase your communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about designing services for a local authority like Birmingham City Council?" (Research the council's current initiatives, challenges, and its mission).

• "How do you ensure that your designs are accessible and inclusive for all users?" (Highlight your understanding of accessibility standards and inclusive design principles).

• "Describe your experience working in agile environments and how you contribute to iterative design processes." (Emphasize your adaptability and collaborative spirit). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Frame your case studies as narratives with a clear beginning (the problem), middle (your process and solutions), and end (the outcome and learnings).

• Focus on Your Role: Clearly articulate your specific contributions, decisions, and impact within each project.

• Visualize Your Process: Use diagrams, journey maps, wireframes, and other visual aids to explain your thinking and the service's current/future state.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics (e.g., improved task completion rates, reduced error rates, positive user feedback scores) to demonstrate the value of your work.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges faced, and how you would handle hypothetical scenarios.

📝 Enhancement Note: These questions are designed to probe the core competencies required for a Service Designer role with operational implications, focusing on process, user understanding, collaboration, and impact in a public sector context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud link.

• Crucially, upload your up-to-date CV; applications without an attached CV will not be considered for shortlisting.

• Tailor your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in service design, user-centred approaches, agile environments, and any relevant public sector or large organization experience. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare your portfolio by selecting relevant projects that showcase your process, problem-solving skills, collaborative abilities, and impact. Be ready to present 1-2 key case studies during the interview process.

• Research Birmingham City Council: Understand its mission, values, current digital initiatives, and the types of services it provides. This will help you tailor your application and responses to demonstrate genuine interest and alignment.

• Practice your interview responses for common service design questions, focusing on articulating your thought process and demonstrating your understanding of operational impact and user-centred design.

⚠️ 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.