Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer

Company: ING

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Customer Experience (CX) / Service Design

Date Posted: 2026-04-14T00:00:00

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Establish and lead the Service Design Practice within the Centre of Expertise (CoE) for Client Experience (CX).

• Drive a customer-centric, outside-in, and data-driven mindset across the Wholesale Banking (WB) digital strategy.

• Design and optimize end-to-end client journeys by leveraging service design methodologies and client insights.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Customer Journey Experts, Product Managers, and Development Teams to deliver innovative solutions.

• Facilitate workshops and trainings to upskill the organization on customer centricity and design methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is pivotal in building a foundational Service Design capability within ING's Wholesale Banking division, focusing on transforming client experiences through structured design processes and deep customer understanding. The emphasis on establishing a "practice" suggests a leadership component in defining standards and methodologies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Employ comprehensive service design methodologies to map, analyze, and visualize client journeys, identifying critical pain points and opportunities for enhancement.

• Lead and facilitate design sprints and workshops to rapidly prototype and test innovative solutions, ensuring alignment with user needs and business objectives.

• Develop detailed and representative personas to deeply inform design decisions and ensure solutions are tailored to diverse client segments within a B2B context.

• Create and maintain detailed service blueprints that clearly illustrate the intricate relationships between user interactions, frontstage/backstage processes, and underlying support systems.

• Manage and evolve the client journey framework for wholesale banking, assessing digitalization levels and identifying strategic opportunities for improvement and innovation.

• Act as a key collaborator with cross-functional teams, including Customer Journey Experts, Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, and Developers, to ensure cohesive and user-centric product development.

• Conduct rigorous qualitative and quantitative user research to gather actionable insights into client behaviors, needs, and motivations, directly influencing design strategies.

• Partner with UX Designers to create and validate prototypes through user testing, iteratively refining solutions based on feedback.

• Continuously evaluate and optimize existing products, applications, websites, and tools to elevate the overall client experience and operational efficiency.

• Clearly document design processes, research findings, and strategic recommendations, effectively communicating complex concepts to diverse stakeholder groups across all organizational levels.

• Champion and embody the ING One Agile Way of Working and the Orange Code, serving as a role model for best practices.

• Design and deliver training programs and workshops to foster customer centricity and disseminate design methodologies throughout the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership in establishing a new practice and hands-on execution of service design deliverables. The expectation to "train teams and upskill the organization" indicates a significant mentorship and advocacy component beyond individual project work.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Service Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a closely related design or behavioral science field.

Experience: Minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in service design, with a demonstrated ability to lead and take ownership of significant design projects and initiatives.

Required Skills:

• Service Design Methodologies: Deep expertise in applying a range of service design tools and techniques, including but not limited to journey mapping, persona creation, service blueprinting, and customer journey frameworks.

• Workshop Facilitation: Proven ability to design, organize, and expertly facilitate impactful design sprints, co-creation workshops, and training sessions for diverse audiences.

• User Research: Strong proficiency in conducting qualitative and quantitative user research, including user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and analyzing research findings to extract actionable insights.

• Prototyping & Design Tools: Hands-on experience with leading design and prototyping tools, with a specific requirement for Figma, to quickly iterate and validate design concepts.

• Analytical & Problem-Solving: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, consistently applied through a strong user-centric and outside-in design mindset.

• Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal, written, and visual communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex design concepts, research findings, and strategic recommendations clearly and persuasively to stakeholders at all levels.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively and collaboratively within cross-functional teams in a dynamic, international environment.

• Agile & Customer Centricity: Strong understanding and practical application of Agile methodologies (specifically ING One Agile Way of Working) and a commitment to fostering customer centricity and a data-driven approach.

Preferred Skills:

• B2B/Financial Services Experience: Prior experience in B2B environments, particularly within the financial services industry or a wholesale banking context, is highly advantageous.

• Digital Transformation: Experience contributing to or leading digital transformation initiatives, with a focus on enhancing client and employee experiences.

• Data Analysis: Familiarity with leveraging data analytics to inform design decisions and measure the impact of service design interventions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 7+ years of experience, coupled with the responsibility to "establish a Service Design Practice," suggests this role may be a senior or lead position, potentially involving strategic planning for the function itself. The explicit mention of B2B and financial services experience as a plus indicates the unique complexities of the wholesale banking client landscape.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: A compelling portfolio showcasing at least 3-5 in-depth case studies demonstrating the application of service design methodologies to solve complex business problems and improve client experiences.

• Methodology Demonstration: Clear articulation of the service design processes, tools, and techniques used in each case study (e.g., journey maps, service blueprints, personas, user flows, prototypes).

• Impact & Metrics: Evidence of measurable impact and ROI, detailing how your service design interventions led to specific improvements (e.g., increased customer satisfaction, reduced operational costs, improved conversion rates, enhanced user engagement).

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: Examples of how you collaborated with cross-functional teams and managed stakeholder expectations throughout the design process.

• Prototyping Examples: Visual examples of prototypes created using tools like Figma, showcasing iterative design and user testing.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Examples of documented workflows and service blueprints that illustrate the end-to-end service delivery process, highlighting frontstage and backstage elements.

• Research & Insights: Documentation of user research methodologies employed, key findings, and how these insights directly translated into design decisions and recommendations.

• Implementation & Iteration: Evidence of how designs were implemented and subsequently iterated upon based on feedback or performance data, demonstrating a continuous improvement cycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on establishing a practice, the portfolio should not only showcase individual project success but also demonstrate the candidate's ability to define and implement design processes and standards that can be scaled within the organization. Emphasis should be placed on strategic thinking behind the application of tools and methodologies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on regional research for Amsterdam, Netherlands, for a Senior Service Designer role with 7+ years of experience in the financial services sector, the estimated annual salary range is €70,000 - €100,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Amsterdam, the specific industry (financial services), and the seniority implied by establishing a new practice.

Benefits:

• Vacation: 25-28 vacation days per year, offering significant flexibility for work-life balance.

• Pension Scheme: Comprehensive pension plan to secure long-term financial well-being.

• 13th Month Salary: An additional month's salary paid annually, providing financial flexibility.

• Holiday Payment: 8% holiday allowance, a standard and valuable addition to annual compensation.

• Hybrid Working: Flexible hybrid work arrangement, allowing for a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work.

• Personal Growth: Opportunities for continuous learning, professional development, and challenging work assignments.

• Innovation Focus: Access to an informal working environment that fosters innovation and collaboration with forward-thinking colleagues.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week, with the flexibility offered by the hybrid work arrangement allowing for effective management of tasks and personal time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on general market data for senior design roles in Amsterdam. Specific compensation will be determined by the candidate's experience, qualifications, and negotiation. The benefits package is robust and aligns with standard Dutch employment practices for large financial institutions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (specifically Wholesale Banking). This industry context implies a focus on complex B2B relationships, regulatory considerations, and a drive for digital transformation to enhance efficiency and client service.

Company Size: ING is a large, established global financial institution, which means operations often involve complex processes, significant data volumes, and a structured organizational hierarchy, alongside efforts to foster innovation and agility.

Founded: ING was founded in 1991 through the merger of NMB Postbank Groep and Banque Paribas, with a long history in financial services. This deep-rooted history suggests a blend of traditional banking principles with a forward-looking approach to digital innovation.

Team Structure:

• Digital Delivery Management: This overarching department is responsible for setting and executing the digital strategy, managing value streams, and delivering digital capabilities across products.

• Centre of Expertise (CoE) for Client Experience (CX): This specialized CoE sits within Digital Delivery Management and is dedicated to understanding and improving client insights through service design, advanced analytics, and user-centric methodologies.

• Reporting Structure: The Service Designer will likely report into a lead within the CoE CX or Digital Delivery Management, working closely with Customer Journey Experts, Product Managers, and UX/UI designers.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaboration is central, involving close partnerships with product teams, development teams, researchers, and business stakeholders across Wholesale Banking.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A strong emphasis on using client insights, research data, and analytics to inform design strategies and measure impact.

• Agile & Lean Principles: Adherence to the ING One Agile Way of Working, prioritizing iterative development, rapid prototyping, and continuous improvement.

• User-Centric Design: A core principle of placing the client at the center of all design and development efforts, ensuring solutions are intuitive, valuable, and meet user needs.

• Service Design Practice Establishment: A key objective is to formalize and embed service design principles and practices across the organization.

Company Website: https://www.ing.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: ING's culture likely balances the stability and rigor of a large financial institution with a strong push towards innovation and digital transformation. The Service Designer will operate within a framework that values both established processes and innovative approaches to client experience.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Service Designer, with significant responsibility for establishing a new practice. It requires substantial independent work, leadership in defining methodologies, and a strategic impact on client experience across Wholesale Banking.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer will report into a leadership position within the Centre of Expertise (CoE) for Client Experience (CX) or the broader Digital Delivery Management department. They will work closely with peers in Customer Journey Expertise, Product Management, and UX/UI Design.

Operations Impact: The Service Designer's impact is critical for improving client satisfaction, operational efficiency, and driving digital adoption within ING's Wholesale Banking division. By creating seamless, user-centric journeys, they directly influence client loyalty, retention, and the bank's competitive positioning in the digital financial services landscape.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Service Design: Opportunity to build and lead the Service Design practice, defining its vision, strategy, and operational standards for ING Wholesale Banking.

• Strategic Influence: Influence the digital strategy and product roadmap by providing deep client insights and championing user-centric design principles to senior leadership.

• Skill Specialization & Expansion: Deepen expertise in specific areas of service design, user research, or digital transformation, and potentially expand into related fields like UX strategy or product management.

• Mentorship & Training: Develop and deliver training programs, mentoring junior designers and upskilling the broader organization in customer-centric methodologies.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to ING's reputation as a leader in client experience within the financial services sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity for a seasoned service designer to shape a function from the ground up within a large, established organization. The growth potential is significant, moving beyond individual contribution to strategic leadership and organizational influence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment, combining in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. The specific office is located in "CDR (Amsterdam - Cedar)," suggesting a modern office space designed for collaboration and innovation.

Office Location(s): Amsterdam, Netherlands. This location offers a vibrant business environment with access to a diverse talent pool and a strong ecosystem for technology and innovation.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office is likely equipped with modern collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, and potentially dedicated areas for design thinking workshops and sprints.

• Tools & Technology: Access to standard office technology, as well as specialized design and prototyping software (e.g., Figma), and potentially advanced analytics platforms.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with colleagues within the CoE CX, Digital Delivery Management, and with cross-functional teams through planned meetings, workshops, and informal engagements.

Work Schedule: While the standard is 40 hours per week, the hybrid arrangement and focus on Agile principles likely allow for a degree of flexibility in managing work hours, provided project deadlines and collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment, requiring individuals to be self-disciplined and effective in both remote and in-office settings. The "Cedar" location might imply a specific innovation hub or modern workspace within ING.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and motivation letter to assess alignment with the role requirements, especially experience in service design, B2B, and financial services.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present your service design portfolio, walking through key case studies, methodologies, and demonstrated impact. Be prepared to discuss your role, challenges, and outcomes in detail.

• Skills & Behavioral Interviews: Interviews focusing on your service design expertise, facilitation skills, user research capabilities, and ability to collaborate within cross-functional and Agile teams. Expect scenario-based questions assessing problem-solving and stakeholder management.

• Cultural Fit & Vision Discussion: A conversation to assess your alignment with ING's values (Orange Code, customer centricity, data-driven approach) and your vision for establishing a Service Design practice.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss strategic fit and long-term contributions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant case studies that best showcase your end-to-end service design process, B2B experience, and impact on client journeys.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role and approach, the methodologies used (journey maps, blueprints, personas, prototypes), the insights gained, the solutions developed, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Process & Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked, including your facilitation techniques, user research methods, and collaboration with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

• Showcase Tools: Visually demonstrate your proficiency with tools like Figma, including examples of interactive prototypes and how they were used for validation.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics (e.g., NPS scores, conversion rates, efficiency gains) to demonstrate the tangible business value of your design work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Thinking Exercise: Be prepared for a potential design thinking or service design challenge, either as a take-home assignment or an in-person/virtual workshop. This might involve analyzing a given scenario and proposing solutions.

• Methodology Application: Demonstrate your ability to apply service design frameworks to a specific business problem relevant to wholesale banking.

• Stakeholder Communication: Practice articulating your design rationale, potential trade-offs, and implementation considerations clearly and concisely, as if presenting to varied stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on establishing a "practice" means interviewers will likely probe your strategic thinking about how to embed service design, measure its effectiveness, and scale it across the organization, not just your individual design skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Service Design & Prototyping: Figma (mandatory), potentially supplemented by tools like Miro or Mural for collaborative whiteboarding and ideation.

• User Research & Analysis: Tools for surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics), usability testing platforms, and data analysis software (e.g., Excel, potentially R or Python for advanced analysis).

• Project Management & Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Microsoft Teams, or Slack for workflow management, documentation, and team communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization: Tools like Tableau or Power BI might be used for analyzing and presenting client journey data, performance metrics, and research insights.

• CRM & Customer Data Platforms: Familiarity with how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and other customer data platforms store and manage client information, which can inform design.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Understanding of how CRM systems are utilized within a wholesale banking context to manage client relationships and interactions.

• Process Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation can impact service delivery and client journeys, though direct experience with specific automation tools might be secondary to design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is explicitly required. Knowledge of tools that support collaborative ideation (Miro/Mural) and data analysis is also highly relevant. Understanding how service design integrates with CRM and analytics platforms is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A fundamental value, ensuring all design decisions and strategies are driven by a deep understanding of client needs and experiences.

• Data-Driven Approach: Decisions are informed by research, analytics, and measurable outcomes, fostering a culture of evidence-based design.

• Agile & Iterative: Embracing flexibility, continuous learning, and iterative improvement within the ING One Agile Way of Working.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an environment where ideas are shared openly, feedback is constructive, and cross-functional teamwork is prioritized.

• Innovation: Encouraging creative problem-solving and the exploration of new ideas to enhance client and employee experiences.

• Integrity & Responsibility: Upholding the highest ethical standards and taking ownership of design outcomes, aligned with the "Orange Code."

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: A highly collaborative style, working seamlessly with product managers, developers, researchers, and business stakeholders to co-create solutions.

• Process-Oriented: Structured approach to design, with clear documentation of processes, findings, and recommendations, facilitating shared understanding and buy-in.

• Feedback Culture: Openness to giving and receiving constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement in design quality and team effectiveness.

• Knowledge Sharing: Proactive sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings across teams to elevate the collective understanding of customer experience and service design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Orange Code" is ING's set of core values, emphasizing integrity, courage, care, and discipline. Understanding and embodying these values will be crucial for cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a New Practice: The primary challenge is to build and embed a Service Design practice within a large, established organization, requiring significant advocacy, process definition, and buy-in from various stakeholders.

• Bridging B2B Complexity: Designing for complex B2B wholesale banking environments involves multiple user types, intricate workflows, and longer sales cycles, which can be more challenging than B2C design.

• Driving Organizational Change: Shifting mindsets towards a more customer-centric and data-driven approach requires persistent effort, effective communication, and demonstrating clear value.

• Integration with Existing Systems: Ensuring new service designs integrate seamlessly with existing legacy systems and processes within the financial sector can be technically and operationally complex.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Opportunity to define the strategic direction and operational framework for Service Design at ING Wholesale Banking.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen knowledge of the financial services and wholesale banking sectors, understanding their unique client needs and operational intricacies.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Develop skills in training, coaching, and mentoring others in customer-centricity and design methodologies, enhancing leadership capabilities.

• Advanced Design & Analytics: Explore advanced topics in UX strategy, customer journey analytics, and the application of AI in customer experience design.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain broad exposure to various business units and digital initiatives within ING, expanding your understanding of the broader organizational landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but also offer substantial rewards in terms of professional development and the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the organization's client experience strategy.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach establishing a Service Design practice from the ground up within a large financial institution like ING?" (Focus on your phased approach, stakeholder engagement, methodology definition, and metrics for success.)

• "Describe a complex B2B client journey you have mapped or improved. What were the key challenges, your specific role, and the outcomes?" (Prepare a detailed case study focusing on B2B nuances and your analytical process.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about ING's approach to digital transformation and client experience?" (Research ING's recent initiatives, digital strategy, and any public statements on CX.)

• "How do you see Service Design contributing to ING's Wholesale Banking digital strategy and the 'Orange Code' values?" (Connect your expertise to the company's stated goals and ethical framework.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, ensure a clear beginning (problem), middle (process, solutions), and end (results). Use visuals effectively to support your story.

• Highlight Your Role: Clearly articulate your specific contributions, especially if you led aspects of the project or practice.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with various teams and stakeholders, and how you managed their input and expectations.

• Quantify Outcomes: Be ready to present the data and metrics that prove the value of your design work. If exact numbers are sensitive, discuss the types of metrics you would track and their significance.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, design decisions, research findings, and how you handled challenges or disagreements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on establishing a practice, expect questions probing your strategic thinking, change management abilities, and your vision for the future of service design at ING.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link, including your CV and a compelling motivation letter tailored to this role.

• Curate your portfolio to prominently feature B2B service design case studies, demonstrating your end-to-end process, use of tools like Figma, and measurable impact on client journeys.

• Prepare your portfolio presentation to clearly articulate your approach, findings, and results, focusing on your ability to establish and lead a service design practice.

• Research ING's Wholesale Banking division, its digital initiatives, and its core values (Orange Code) to demonstrate your understanding of the company and how you align with its culture and strategic goals.

• Practice articulating your experience with Agile methodologies, user research, and cross-functional collaboration, preparing specific examples for potential interview questions.

⚠️ 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.

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