Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer

Company: LegalAndGeneral

Location: Brighton and Hove, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Operations Strategy & Design (GTM/Client Experience Focus)

Date Posted: 2026-08-21

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and enhance the end-to-end client onboarding experience for institutional retirement clients, focusing on seamless integration of client needs with internal operations and technology.

• Establish and mature service design capabilities within the Institutional Retirement COO function, driving a culture of user-centricity and evidence-led decision-making.

• Develop and implement meaningful service measures to track performance, identify friction points, and prioritize strategic improvements across the client journey.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, technology teams, and operational stakeholders to deliver transformative changes that enhance client satisfaction and operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Service Designer," the context of "institutional retirement clients," "internal operations," and "product and technology" strongly suggests a role deeply embedded within Go-To-Market (GTM) or Client Operations, with a significant focus on client experience and operational efficiency. The emphasis on "establishing service design in an area undergoing significant transformation" and "building practical service-design capability" indicates a strategic, foundational role. The provided experience level (5-10 years) aligns with a mid-to-senior level professional expected to drive initiatives and influence stakeholders.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect and continually refine the comprehensive institutional client onboarding service, ensuring a cohesive and positive experience from initial engagement through to full integration.

• Map and analyze the complete client journey, meticulously detailing all touchpoints, internal dependencies, operational processes, and technology interactions to identify areas for optimization.

• Conduct in-depth customer research, user interviews, and usability testing to gather critical insights that inform service design and validate proposed solutions.

• Define, implement, and track key service metrics and KPIs to measure performance, identify bottlenecks, and provide data-driven evidence for prioritizing improvement initiatives.

• Develop detailed service blueprints, user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts, operational requirements, and user experiences to diverse audiences.

• Foster strong partnerships with product management, engineering, sales enablement, and client success teams to ensure alignment and successful co-creation and delivery of service improvements.

• Act as a coach and advocate for service design and design thinking principles, empowering cross-functional teams to adopt user-centered methodologies in their daily work and strategic planning.

• Ensure all designed services and customer touchpoints adhere to relevant accessibility standards, promoting inclusivity and equitable access for all clients.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities emphasize a blend of strategic design, user research, cross-functional collaboration, and operational integration, which are hallmarks of a senior role focused on optimizing the client lifecycle within a complex financial services environment. The specific mention of "institutional client onboarding" and "connecting client needs with internal journeys, processes, operations and technology" positions this role squarely within the GTM operations and client experience domain.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Business, Marketing, or a related field is typically expected for this level of role. Advanced degrees or relevant certifications in Service Design or Design Thinking are advantageous.

Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in service design, UX design, or a related customer experience role, with a proven track record of designing and implementing complex, end-to-end services. Demonstrated experience within large, complex organizations, particularly in financial services or regulated industries, is highly beneficial.

Required Skills:

• Service Design Methodologies: Deep expertise in end-to-end service design frameworks, including journey mapping, service blueprinting, persona development, and user story mapping.

• Design Thinking Principles: Strong command of design thinking processes, including empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing, to drive innovative solutions.

• Customer Research & Insight Generation: Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods (e.g., user interviews, surveys, usability testing, data analysis) to uncover user needs and pain points.

• Prototyping & Wireframing Tools: Hands-on experience with industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or equivalent for creating wireframes, interactive prototypes, and visual mockups.

• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Exceptional ability to engage, influence, and manage expectations with senior stakeholders across various departments (e.g., operations, product, technology, sales, client success).

• Facilitation Skills: Proven ability to lead workshops, design sprints, and collaborative sessions with diverse teams to drive consensus and generate actionable outcomes.

• Operational & Technical Understanding: Ability to connect customer-facing service design with back-end operational processes, internal workflows, and technology systems.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Competence in defining service measures, analyzing data, and using insights to prioritize improvements and justify design decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Accessibility Standards: Familiarity with WCAG guidelines and best practices for designing inclusive and accessible digital services.

• Agile/Lean Methodologies: Experience working within Agile or Lean frameworks to deliver iterative improvements.

• Financial Services/Insurance Domain Knowledge: Understanding of the institutional retirement or broader financial services industry landscape, client needs, and regulatory considerations.

• Figma Proficiency: Specific experience with Figma for collaborative design and prototyping.

• Change Management Principles: Knowledge of change management frameworks to support the adoption of new services and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of "Figma or equivalent" in the job description, along with the need to connect customer journeys with "operational and technical delivery," points towards a practical, hands-on role that requires strong technical design skills and an understanding of how design translates into operational reality. The "5-10 years" experience level suggests a need for seasoned professionals capable of independent work and strategic influence.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Service Designs: Showcase detailed case studies demonstrating the design of complex, multi-stage services from initial concept through to implementation and iteration. Highlight the problem statement, user research, design process, and tangible outcomes.

• Process Optimization Examples: Include examples where your service design work led to measurable improvements in operational efficiency, client satisfaction, or reduction in friction points within a service delivery process.

• System Integration & Workflow Mapping: Present instances where you mapped client journeys and operational workflows, identifying how different systems and internal processes interact and where improvements can be made.

• Demonstration of Collaboration: Provide evidence of successful collaboration with cross-functional teams (e.g., product, engineering, operations) to co-create and deliver service solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Service Blueprints & Journey Maps: Detailed examples of comprehensive service blueprints and customer journey maps that illustrate service ecosystems, stakeholder responsibilities, and critical touchpoints.

• Prototyping & Wireframing Artifacts: A collection of wireframes, interactive prototypes, and user flow diagrams that clearly communicate design intent and functionality.

• Research & Testing Summaries: Summaries of user research findings, usability test results, and how these insights directly informed design decisions and service improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on establishing service design and transforming client onboarding, a portfolio demonstrating the ability to translate abstract concepts into tangible, documented processes and user experiences is crucial. The emphasis on "evidence-led decision making" and "connecting client needs with internal operations and technology" means the portfolio should clearly articulate the 'why' and 'how' behind design choices, linking them to business and client outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the location (Brighton and Hove, UK), experience level (5-10 years), and industry (Financial Services), a competitive salary range for a Service Designer with this profile in the UK would typically fall between £55,000 to £75,000 per annum. This estimate considers the cost of living in the South East of England and the specialized nature of service design within a regulated financial environment.

Benefits:

• Performance-Related Bonus: Annual bonus plan linked to individual and company performance, reflecting a results-oriented culture.

• Share Schemes: Opportunity to participate in valuable share schemes, aligning employee success with shareholder value.

• Pension Contribution: Generous employer pension contribution, supporting long-term financial security.

• Life Assurance: Comprehensive life assurance coverage for peace of mind.

• Healthcare Plan: Access to a healthcare plan for permanent employees, covering medical needs.

• Generous Holiday Allowance: Starting at 25 days plus public holidays, increasing to 26 days after 2 years of service, with the option to buy and sell holiday days.

• Electric Car Scheme: Tax-efficient salary sacrifice scheme for hiring brand-new electric cars (for permanent employees).

• Employee Discounts: A wide range of discounts at high street stores and online retailers.

• Sustainable Workplace Initiatives: Contribution to creating net-zero carbon workplaces by 2030.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are estimated to be 40 hours per week. The company emphasizes outcomes over attendance and is open to discussing flexible working options, including part-time and job shares, where feasible given customer demand.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on market data for Service Designers in the UK with 5-10 years of experience, considering the specific location and industry. The benefits package provided in the job description is extensive and demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being and financial security, which are key attractors for mid-to-senior level professionals. The mention of flexible working is a significant benefit in today's job market.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (specifically, Institutional Retirement and Pension Risk Transfer). Legal & General operates in a highly regulated sector that demands precision, security, and a long-term perspective. This industry context means that service design must balance innovation with compliance and robust risk management.

Company Size: Legal & General is a large, established UK financial services group with a global presence. This scale implies complex organizational structures, established processes, and a diverse workforce, offering opportunities for significant impact but also requiring adept navigation of internal dynamics.

Founded: Legal & General was founded in 1836, signifying a deep history and extensive experience in financial services. This longevity suggests a stable, reputable organization with a strong understanding of its market and customer needs, while also undergoing continuous adaptation to modern demands.

Team Structure:

• The Service Designer will be part of the LGIR COO (Legal & General Retirement Institutional Chief Operating Officer) function. This suggests a role embedded within the operational backbone of the Institutional Retirement business unit.

• The role is described as "newly created," indicating an opportunity to shape the function and influence its direction.

• Collaboration is expected with product managers, cross-functional teams, and potentially teams focused on technology and client operations. The reporting structure will likely be within a dedicated design, transformation, or operations excellence team under the COO. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Improvement: The role emphasizes using "evidence-led decisions" and "meaningful ways to measure services," indicating a strong reliance on data analytics and performance metrics to guide service design and operational improvements.

• User-Centric Design: The core of the role involves understanding "client needs" and designing services "from beginning to end" to work "coherently," highlighting a user-centric approach to service delivery.

• Transformation & Capability Building: The objective includes "establishing service design in an area undergoing significant transformation" and "building practical service-design capability," pointing towards a strategic initiative focused on evolving the organization's approach to service delivery.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding that Legal & General is a long-standing financial institution is key. Service design in this context isn't just about aesthetics or user flow on a website; it's about designing robust, compliant, and efficient processes that manage significant financial liabilities and client trust. The "newly created role" aspect is a significant indicator for candidates looking for an opportunity to establish and influence.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a mid-to-senior level position within the operations and design domain. It's a foundational role for establishing service design within a specific business unit, requiring not only design expertise but also the ability to influence strategy, build capability, and drive change in a large, established organization. The scope extends beyond individual projects to shaping how services are conceived, delivered, and measured.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer will report into the LGIR COO function. This places the role within the operational heart of the Institutional Retirement business. The reporting line will likely be to a Head of Transformation, Head of Operations Excellence, or a similar senior leader responsible for driving efficiency and client experience improvements within the COO office. This structure allows for direct influence over operational processes and client-facing services.

Operations Impact: The Service Designer will have a direct impact on the client onboarding experience, which is critical for client acquisition, retention, and overall satisfaction in the institutional retirement market. By improving service design and operational efficiency, the role contributes to:

• Revenue Growth: Streamlining onboarding can accelerate client acquisition and revenue realization.

• Cost Reduction: Optimizing processes and reducing friction points can lower operational costs.

• Client Retention: A superior onboarding experience builds trust and satisfaction, leading to higher retention rates.

• Brand Reputation: Delivering seamless, reliable services enhances Legal & General's reputation as a trusted financial partner.

• Operational Efficiency: Creating coherent services reduces errors, rework, and improves internal team productivity.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Service Design: As the first Service Designer in LGIR COO, there's a clear path to becoming the lead and shaping the future of service design within the division, potentially building and managing a team.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in financial services, institutional retirement, or specific areas of client experience transformation.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Potential to move into broader transformation, operations management, or product leadership roles by leveraging design thinking and operational expertise.

• Strategic Influence: The role offers a platform to influence business strategy, product development, and operational roadmaps based on user insights and service design principles.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning through exposure to complex financial products, operational challenges, and advanced design methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "newly created role" aspect is a significant growth opportunity. Candidates are not just joining a team but have the chance to define the service design function's trajectory within LGIR COO, which is a powerful career advancement prospect. The emphasis on "building practical service-design capability" suggests a mentorship and training component, fostering leadership potential.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The primary location is listed as London, One Coleman Street, though the job description mentions Brighton and Hove as a location. This suggests a hybrid model where the employee may be based in Brighton but required to travel to London or other offices. Legal & General is investing in "sustainable, modern offices across the UK, all designed to bring people together and elevate the in-person experience." This indicates a focus on collaborative, modern workspaces.

Office Location(s):

• Primary: London, One Coleman Street (suggests a central London hub).

• Mentioned Location: The Droveway, Brighton and Hove (suggests a presence or team in this region).

Candidates should clarify the primary work location and expected travel requirements.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The company is "creating net-zero carbon workplaces... designed to bring people together," implying an emphasis on collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, and areas that encourage interaction.

• Technology & Tools: While not explicitly detailed, a Service Designer role in a modern financial institution will likely have access to standard design software (Figma, etc.), collaboration platforms (Microsoft Teams, Slack), project management tools (Jira, Asana), and potentially specialized CX/journey mapping software.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The role necessitates frequent interaction with diverse teams (product, technology, operations, sales, client success), fostering a dynamic and interconnected work environment.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with standard working hours likely around 40 per week. However, Legal & General emphasizes "outcomes rather than attendance" and is "open to discussing all kinds of flexible working options including part-time and job shares." This flexibility is a key aspect of the work environment, allowing for better work-life integration, which is critical for roles involving deep analytical and creative work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The potential for hybrid work and the emphasis on flexible working are significant. Candidates should clarify the exact expectations regarding office attendance and travel between locations like Brighton and London. The company's investment in modern, collaborative office spaces suggests a positive and functional work environment conducive to design and operational tasks.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of CV and portfolio to assess alignment with core service design skills, experience in complex organizations, and understanding of operational integration.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on your service design philosophy, experience with end-to-end service design, and ability to connect user needs with business/operational realities. Expect questions about your approach to problem-solving and stakeholder engagement.

• Case Study / Design Challenge: A practical exercise where you might be asked to map a hypothetical client journey, identify pain points, or propose service improvements based on a given scenario. This will assess your practical application of service design tools and methods.

• Cross-Functional Panel Interview: Meeting with potential collaborators (e.g., a Product Manager, an Operations Lead) to assess your ability to work in a team, communicate effectively, and influence stakeholders from different disciplines. Focus will be on your collaboration style and understanding of operational constraints.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., Head of COO or Transformation) to discuss strategic alignment, cultural fit, and long-term vision for service design within LGIR.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role, the process you followed, and – most importantly – the tangible outcomes and impact of your service design work (e.g., improved client satisfaction scores, reduced operational costs, increased efficiency).

• Showcase Process: Demonstrate your understanding of the end-to-end service design process. Include examples of journey maps, service blueprints, wireframes, prototypes, and user research findings.

• Highlight Collaboration: If possible, include examples that show how you worked with cross-functional teams, operations, and technology to deliver solutions.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects related to client onboarding, financial services, or complex process transformations. Showcase your ability to connect user needs with operational and technical delivery.

• Be Concise and Clear: Present your work logically and concisely. Use visuals effectively to communicate complex ideas. Be prepared to walk through your case studies and answer detailed questions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research Legal & General, their Institutional Retirement business, and typical challenges in financial services client onboarding.

• Service Design Fundamentals: Revisit core service design methodologies, tools (journey mapping, blueprinting), and principles.

• Operational Thinking: Be prepared to think about how services integrate with back-end operations, systems, and compliance requirements.

• Stakeholder Communication: Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and persuasively, considering different stakeholder perspectives.

• Problem-Solving: Think about common friction points in client onboarding and how service design can address them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "establishing service design" and "building practical service-design capability" means interviewers will be looking for not just design skill, but also the ability to teach, influence, and implement. Your portfolio and interview answers should reflect this proactive, developmental approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Service Design & Prototyping: Figma (explicitly mentioned), Sketch, Adobe XD, Miro, Mural (for collaborative whiteboarding and journey mapping).

• User Research & Testing: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics), and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback).

• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Microsoft Teams, Slack.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: While not specified, proficiency with tools like Excel/Google Sheets, potentially SQL, and BI platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for analyzing service performance data and user behavior metrics would be beneficial.

• Customer Feedback Platforms: Tools for aggregating and analyzing customer feedback (e.g., Zendesk, Gainsight, dedicated NPS/CSAT tools).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Familiarity with CRM systems like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar platforms is advantageous, as service design often involves understanding how customer data flows through these systems.

• Workflow Automation: Understanding of how business processes can be automated, even if not directly configuring the tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma is a key indicator of the primary design tool. Beyond that, a broad understanding of the tools used in modern digital product development and operations, particularly those facilitating collaboration and data analysis, is expected. The ability to integrate service design with CRM and operational workflows is critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of institutional clients, ensuring their experience is paramount in all service design and operational decisions.

• Integrity & Trust: Upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and transparency, crucial in the financial services industry where client trust is foundational.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Fostering strong working relationships across departments (operations, technology, product, sales) to achieve shared goals and deliver cohesive services.

• Continuous Improvement & Efficiency: A drive to constantly refine processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement innovative solutions that enhance service quality and operational effectiveness.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on evidence, metrics, and insights to inform strategic choices, prioritize initiatives, and measure the impact of service improvements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expect a collaborative environment where the Service Designer works closely with operational teams, product managers, and technology developers to ensure seamless integration of client-facing services with internal processes and systems.

• Proactive Engagement: The role requires proactively engaging with stakeholders to understand their needs, share insights, and co-create solutions, rather than working in isolation.

• Open Communication & Feedback: A culture that encourages open dialogue, constructive feedback, and the sharing of knowledge and best practices to collectively improve service delivery.

• Agile & Iterative Approach: Embracing an iterative design process, working in sprints, and being receptive to feedback for continuous refinement of services.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values of integrity, long-term focus, and building a better society are likely to permeate the team culture. For a Service Designer, this translates into designing services that are not only efficient and user-friendly but also ethical, sustainable, and build lasting client relationships. The emphasis on "outcomes rather than attendance" also points to a trust-based, performance-oriented culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing New Capabilities: As a newly created role, a primary challenge will be establishing the service design function, defining its scope, and gaining buy-in across a large, established organization.

• Navigating Complexity: Working within a large financial institution involves navigating complex organizational structures, legacy systems, and potentially siloed departments, requiring strong influencing and change management skills.

• Balancing Innovation with Regulation: Designing new services while adhering to stringent financial regulations and compliance requirements can be a delicate balance.

• Measuring Impact: Quantifying the impact of service design initiatives, especially in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment, can be challenging.

• Bridging Operational and Client Needs: Effectively translating client needs into actionable operational improvements and vice versa requires deep understanding and strong communication.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Financial Services: Gain in-depth knowledge of the institutional retirement market, pension risk transfer, and the broader financial services landscape.

• Service Design Leadership: Develop leadership skills by building and potentially managing a service design capability within LGIR COO.

• Transformation Expertise: Become proficient in driving organizational transformation through user-centered design and operational excellence.

• Advanced Design & Analytics: Opportunity to explore advanced service design techniques, user research methodologies, and data analytics for service measurement.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Develop a strong understanding of product management, technology development, and operational delivery within a large enterprise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "newly created role" is both a challenge and a significant growth opportunity. Candidates who thrive on building from the ground up and influencing organizational direction will find this role particularly rewarding. The challenges are framed as opportunities for skill development and strategic impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to establish a new service design capability or process within an organization. What were the key steps and challenges?" (Focus: Capability building, influencing)

• "How do you approach mapping complex end-to-end services that involve multiple internal departments and external stakeholders?" (Focus: Process mapping, stakeholder management)

• "Walk me through a project where you used customer research and data to significantly improve a service. What was your process, and what was the measurable outcome?" (Focus: Research, data-driven decision making, impact)

• "How would you balance the need for innovative client experiences with the regulatory and operational constraints of a financial services institution?" (Focus: Strategic thinking, operational awareness, risk management) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Legal & General and the institutional retirement market, what do you see as the biggest opportunities for service design improvement in client onboarding?" (Focus: Research, strategic insight)

• "How do you ensure inclusivity and accessibility in your service designs, especially for a diverse client base?" (Focus: Values alignment, practical application)

• "Describe your experience coaching or mentoring teams on service design or design thinking principles." (Focus: Leadership potential, capability building) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) as a guide.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (service blueprints, journey maps, wireframes, prototypes) to illustrate your work and thought process.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., percentage increase in satisfaction, reduction in error rates, time saved).

• Highlight Collaboration: Explain how you worked with different teams, especially operations and technology, to bring your designs to life. Be ready to discuss how you managed conflicting priorities or perspectives.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your specific design choices, the trade-offs you made, and how you would adapt your approach in a different context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is a foundational role for service design within LGIR COO, interviewers will be keen to understand your ability to not only design but also to influence, teach, and implement. Be ready to discuss your strategic approach to embedding service design and driving adoption.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.smartrecruiters.com.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in end-to-end service design, client onboarding, operational integration, stakeholder management, and any relevant financial services or regulated industry experience. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best demonstrate your ability to design complex services, map operational processes, conduct user research, and achieve measurable impact. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your role and the outcomes.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experience and portfolio case studies concisely and persuasively, focusing on your strategic approach and ability to drive results. Be ready to discuss how you would establish and grow service design capabilities.

• Research Legal & General: Understand the company's mission, values, and its Institutional Retirement business. Consider the unique challenges and opportunities for service design in this sector.

⚠️ 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.