Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer

Company: UNSW

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Job Type: 24 month fixed term role

Category: Service Design / IT Operations

Date Posted: May 19, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid (2-3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the development of innovative technology services from concept to delivery within UNSW IT, aligning with the AI and Innovation directorate.

• Co-design end-to-end service experiences across digital and physical touchpoints for UNSW IT.

• Conduct market research and customer analysis to identify technology trends, user requirements, and gaps in technology-enabled service offerings.

• Champion user-centred approaches, promoting design thinking methodologies, and mentoring teams in service design tools and techniques.

• Develop and validate proof-of-concepts or pilot programs, including cost-benefit analyses, to assess the viability of new technology services.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "Solution Architect role" within the AI and Innovation directorate, indicating a strong focus on strategic technology solutions and future-state service design, rather than purely operational support. The emphasis on innovation and market-leading services suggests a forward-thinking and proactive approach to service development within the higher education sector.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive market research and in-depth customer analysis to pinpoint emerging technology trends, evolving user needs, and critical gaps within UNSW's technology-enabled service landscape.

• Lead collaborative co-design sessions with Service Owners to conceptualize and develop end-to-end service experiences that span both digital platforms and physical touchpoints.

• Define meticulous service specifications, detailed functional requirements, and precise performance criteria for all technology-enabled service solutions, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.

• Partner proactively with business owners and key service stakeholders to generate, evaluate, and refine innovative concepts for new technology services, enhancements to existing services, or optimizations of service delivery processes.

• Collaborate with Service Owners to co-create detailed service journey maps, providing a visual representation and strategic roadmap for optimizing the entire service delivery lifecycle.

• Act as a role model for Service Design principles and practices across UNSW, actively championing user-centred design, promoting design thinking methodologies, and providing mentorship to teams in the application of service design tools and techniques to achieve superior service outcomes.

• Develop and manage proof-of-concepts (PoCs) or pilot programs to rigorously validate service functionality, usability, and scalability, including conducting thorough cost-benefit analyses to ascertain the economic viability of proposed solutions.

• Foster strong collaboration with cross-functional teams, including engineering, UX/UI design, architecture, cybersecurity, and change management, to ensure a seamless and integrated approach to service development and deployment.

• Maintain and manage a comprehensive repository of service documentation, encompassing technical specifications, detailed release notes, and clear user guides for all implemented services.

• Actively align with and demonstrate UNSW's Code of Conduct and core Values in all aspects of work.

• Ensure that psychosocial and physical hazards and risks are identified and effectively controlled for all tasks, projects, and activities that pose a health and safety risk within your area of responsibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic ideation, user-centric design, and practical implementation. The emphasis on "co-designing," "partner with business owners," and "collaborate with cross-functional teams" points to a highly interactive and influential role. The inclusion of ITIL framework and Agile methodologies in the requirements suggests that the operationalization and iterative improvement of services are key aspects of this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in a related field such as Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Technology, Business, or a related discipline is typically expected for roles of this nature.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in Service Design, Business Analysis, or a closely related role, with a proven track record of developing and implementing technology services.

Required Skills:

• Minimum 5+ years of experience in Service Design, Business Analysis, or a similar strategic role.

• Deep understanding of service design processes, encompassing the entire lifecycle from ideation through delivery to operationalization.

• Strong business acumen with a demonstrated ability to translate complex customer needs into actionable and detailed service requirements.

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, with a keen eye for service metrics evaluation and a commitment to delivering high-quality, user-focused services.

• Creative mindset with a genuine passion for innovation, continuous improvement, and driving positive change in service delivery.

• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, enabling effective partnership with diverse cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

• Proven ability to work independently, manage time effectively, prioritize tasks, and achieve desired outcomes in a dynamic environment.

• Familiarity with design thinking methodologies and a strong adherence to user-centred design principles.

• Practical experience in applying ITIL frameworks to guide services from initial concept through delivery and into ongoing operational support.

• Working knowledge and recent experience with agile methodologies, such as Agile or Scrum, for iterative development and deployment.

• Strong analytical capabilities to interpret market data, user feedback, and performance metrics to make informed service design decisions.

• Understanding of and commitment to UNSW's aims, objectives, and values, coupled with adherence to relevant policies and guidelines.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the higher education sector, understanding its unique service delivery challenges and opportunities.

• Proficiency in specific service design tools (e.g., Miro, Figma, Lucidchart for journey mapping and wireframing).

• Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) systems and their role in service delivery.

• Familiarity with AI and emerging technologies relevant to service innovation.

• Project management certifications or experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 5+ years of experience, coupled with familiarity with ITIL and Agile, suggests this role is not entry-level and expects a candidate who can hit the ground running with established frameworks. The emphasis on translating customer needs into service requirements and defining functional specifications points towards a strong analytical and requirements-gathering capability, typical of a senior Business Analyst or Product Owner functioning within a service design capacity.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 distinct projects demonstrating end-to-end service design initiatives, from initial concept and user research to final implementation and iteration.

• Include detailed case studies that clearly articulate the problem statement, the user research conducted, the design process followed, and the innovative solutions developed.

• Provide examples of service journey maps, user flows, wireframes, or prototypes that illustrate your design thinking and user-centred approach.

• Demonstrate your ability to define and track key service metrics, showing how you measured success and impact (e.g., user satisfaction, efficiency gains, adoption rates).

Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have documented service specifications, functional requirements, and performance criteria for technology-enabled services.

• Showcase your experience in creating and maintaining comprehensive service documentation, including technical specifications, release notes, and user guides.

• Include instances where you have applied ITIL principles to service transition and operational support documentation.

• Present evidence of your work within Agile/Scrum frameworks, including how you've contributed to sprint planning, backlog refinement, and user story creation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on developing services from concept to delivery, a portfolio that clearly illustrates the candidate's ability to translate strategic vision into tangible service offerings is crucial. The emphasis on "co-designing," "journey maps," and "proof-of-concepts" means practical examples of these artifacts are highly desirable. The requirement to define specifications and functional requirements suggests that the portfolio should also include examples of detailed documentation that supports implementation.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: AUD $148,012 - $157,016 per annum, plus generous superannuation and leave loading.

Benefits:

• Generous Superannuation: 17% employer contributions to superannuation.

• Leave Loading: Additional payments on top of standard leave entitlements.

• Christmas Leave: An additional 3 days of leave granted during the Christmas period.

• Flexible Working: Options for hybrid work arrangements, including working from home and flexible hours.

• Career Development: Opportunities for professional growth and advancement within UNSW.

• Discounts & Entitlements: Access to discounts and entitlements across retail, education, and fitness programs.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (assumed 35-40 hours per week), with flexibility offered through hybrid working arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific and competitive for a senior Service Design/Solution Architect role in Sydney, Australia. The 17% superannuation is significantly higher than the Australian standard (currently 11%), making this a very attractive benefit. The "leave loading" is also a common but valuable addition to standard leave entitlements in Australia.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Higher Education (specifically within the IT Directorate of a leading global university). UNSW is a research-intensive university and a member of the prestigious Group of Eight, known for its innovation and global impact.

Company Size: UNSW is a large, complex organization with a diverse community, placing it in the large enterprise category. This means established processes, but also opportunities for significant impact and cross-functional reach.

Founded: UNSW was founded in 1949. Its long history as a leading institution provides a stable yet forward-looking environment.

Team Structure:

• This role sits within the AI and Innovation directorate of UNSW IT.

• The Service Designer reports to the Head of Innovation.

• The role has no direct reports, indicating an individual contributor focus.

Methodology:

• User-Centred Design & Design Thinking: These are core methodologies expected to be championed and applied.

• Agile/Scrum: The team operates using agile methodologies for iterative development and deployment.

• ITIL Framework: Application of ITIL principles is expected for service transition and operational support.

• Market Research & Customer Analysis: Data-driven approaches to identifying needs and trends.

• Proof-of-Concept & Pilot Programs: Emphasis on validation and testing before full-scale deployment.

Company Website: https://www.unsw.edu.au/

📝 Enhancement Note: UNSW's positioning as a top global university suggests a culture that values academic excellence, research, innovation, and a commitment to societal impact. Within the IT directorate, this likely translates to a focus on leveraging technology to enhance the educational and research experience, driving efficiency, and adopting modern development practices. The "AI and Innovation" directorate specifically points to a forward-looking and experimental approach within the IT function.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a senior individual contributor level, akin to a Senior Service Designer or Solution Architect. It requires significant experience and the ability to influence and mentor without direct authority. The focus is on strategic design and innovative problem-solving within the IT service landscape.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer reports directly to the Head of Innovation within the AI and Innovation directorate. This provides visibility to senior leadership and strategic alignment opportunities.

Operations Impact: The Service Designer's impact is significant, as they are responsible for shaping the technology services that underpin UNSW's educational, research, and administrative functions. By developing innovative and user-centred services, they directly contribute to enhancing the user experience for students, faculty, and staff, improving operational efficiency, and supporting the university's strategic goals.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of AI-driven services, complex system design, or user experience strategy within the higher education context.

• Leadership: Transition into team leadership roles within the AI and Innovation directorate or other IT functions, potentially managing a team of designers or solution architects.

• Strategic Influence: Grow into roles with greater strategic input, such as Principal Service Designer, Head of Service Design, or IT Strategy roles.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Leverage experience to move into product management, business architecture, or broader IT strategy roles within UNSW or other large organizations.

• Continuous Learning: UNSW's environment, coupled with the role's focus on innovation, provides ample opportunities for learning about new technologies and methodologies through internal projects, external training, and industry engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fixed-term nature of this 24-month role might suggest it's project-based or a pathway to a permanent position. However, it also offers a clear opportunity to gain specialized experience within a leading university's innovation hub, which can be a strong stepping stone for future roles. The direct reporting to the Head of Innovation provides excellent exposure to strategic decision-making.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid Flexible Working. This implies a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work. The Kensington campus likely offers modern office facilities.

Office Location(s): Kensington campus in NSW, Australia. This is UNSW's main campus, a vibrant hub with extensive facilities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role necessitates close interaction with various cross-functional teams, suggesting an environment that supports teamwork, brainstorming, and shared problem-solving.

• Technology-Rich: As part of UNSW IT, the Service Designer will have access to and work with a range of modern IT tools and technologies essential for service design, development, and collaboration.

• Innovation Focus: The AI and Innovation directorate environment is likely to be dynamic, encouraging experimentation, exploration of new ideas, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours with flexibility. The hybrid model allows for a balance between structured in-office collaboration (2-3 days/week) and remote work, supporting efficient workflow management and personal work-life integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model, with a specific requirement of 2-3 days in the office, indicates a structured approach to flexible work, ensuring that in-person collaboration remains a key component of the work week. This is common in large organizations aiming to balance employee flexibility with team cohesion and operational needs.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application Review: Screening of resumes and cover letters, focusing on the "Who you are" section and alignment with required experience and skills.

• Screening Call: A brief discussion with a Talent Acquisition Partner (e.g., Jen MacLachlan) to assess initial fit, understanding of the role, and salary expectations.

• Technical/Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the Hiring Manager (Head of Innovation) and potentially other key team members. This stage will likely explore your experience with service design methodologies, ITIL, Agile, problem-solving capabilities, and strategic thinking.

• Portfolio Presentation/Case Study: A critical stage where you will be asked to present examples from your portfolio, showcasing your approach to service design, user research, problem-solving, and the impact of your work. This may involve a prepared presentation or a live case study exercise.

• Final Interview/Panel: Potentially a panel interview with senior stakeholders to assess cultural fit, strategic alignment, and overall suitability for the role and UNSW's values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end service design capabilities, particularly those involving technology services, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you solved, your specific role and contributions, the methodologies used (Design Thinking, ITIL, Agile), and quantifiable outcomes (e.g., improved user satisfaction scores, reduced operational costs, increased adoption rates). Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

• Visualize Your Process: Include visual aids such as service journey maps, wireframes, user flows, or prototypes to illustrate your design thinking and user-centred approach.

• Tailor to UNSW: Where possible, draw parallels between your past work and UNSW's context, demonstrating an understanding of the higher education sector and the university's strategic goals.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, how you handled challenges, how you collaborated with stakeholders, and how you measured success.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Thinking Exercise: Be ready for a scenario-based exercise where you might need to quickly outline a design thinking approach to a given problem relevant to university IT services.

• Process Mapping: You may be asked to demonstrate your ability to map out a current service process and identify areas for improvement.

• Requirements Definition: Prepare to discuss how you would gather and document functional and non-functional requirements for a new technology service.

• Stakeholder Communication: Practice articulating complex technical concepts and design decisions clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "addressing the who you are section" in the application instructions suggests that self-awareness and the ability to articulate one's skills and experience against the stated requirements will be heavily weighted. The portfolio review is likely to be a significant part of the selection process, so preparing compelling case studies is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Service Design & Prototyping: Tools like Miro, Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Lucidchart for journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and collaborative ideation.

• Agile Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Trello, Asana for managing sprints, user stories, backlogs, and project documentation.

• ITSM/ITIL Tools: ServiceNow, BMC Helix, or similar platforms for managing service requests, incidents, changes, and knowledge bases.

• Collaboration Platforms: Microsoft Teams, Slack for day-to-day communication and team collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics for understanding user behaviour on digital platforms.

• Business Intelligence Tools: Tableau, Power BI, QlikView for creating dashboards and reports on service performance, user adoption, and operational efficiency.

• Survey Tools: SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics for gathering user feedback and satisfaction data.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not explicitly stated for this role, understanding CRM principles (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) is beneficial as services often interact with customer data.

• Workflow Automation: Tools like Zapier, Power Automate, or custom scripting for automating repetitive tasks within service delivery processes.

• Documentation Management: SharePoint, Google Drive, or dedicated knowledge management systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a strong understanding of service design principles and methodologies, which are often supported by a suite of digital tools. While specific tool mandates aren't listed, familiarity with common design, project management, and IT service management (ITSM) tools is expected. The mention of "AI and Innovation" suggests potential exposure to AI-specific tools or platforms in the future.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centred: A fundamental value, emphasizing the needs and experiences of students, faculty, and staff in all service design and development efforts.

• Innovation & Purposeful Action: Driving meaningful change through thoughtful, practical, and purposeful application of technology and design.

• Collaboration & Community: Working together across diverse teams to achieve common goals, fostering a sense of shared purpose and mutual support.

• Excellence & Integrity: Upholding high standards in research, teaching, and operations, guided by ethical conduct and strong integrity.

• Inclusion & Equity: Commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where all individuals are valued and have the opportunity to thrive.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role is designed to be highly collaborative, requiring seamless integration with engineering, UX/UI, architecture, cybersecurity, and business stakeholders.

• Co-creation & Partnership: Emphasis on working with rather than for others, fostering a partnership approach with Service Owners and business units.

• Open Communication & Feedback: An environment that encourages open dialogue, constructive feedback, and the sharing of ideas to improve service outcomes.

• Agile & Iterative: Collaboration will likely follow agile principles, with regular touchpoints, stand-ups, and iterative development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: UNSW's stated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, along with its values of purposeful action and innovation, shapes the work environment. For a Service Designer, this means ensuring that services are accessible, inclusive, and contribute positively to the university's mission, while also embracing new ideas and technologies.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating a Large Organization: UNSW's size and complexity can present challenges in aligning diverse stakeholder needs and driving change across established systems and processes.

• Balancing Innovation with Legacy Systems: Integrating new, innovative services with existing university infrastructure and legacy systems can be technically and operationally demanding.

• Translating Research into Practical Services: Bridging the gap between cutting-edge AI research and implementable, user-friendly IT services requires strong translation skills.

• Measuring ROI for Innovation: Quantifying the return on investment for novel services and design initiatives can be challenging, requiring robust metrics and clear articulation of value.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Service Design Techniques: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specialized areas of service design, user research, and experience strategy.

• AI and Emerging Technologies: Exposure to and application of AI and other emerging technologies within the IT Innovation directorate.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gaining insights into university operations, research methodologies, and academic needs through extensive collaboration.

• Leadership Development: Potential for growth into leadership roles, managing projects or teams, and influencing strategic IT direction.

• Professional Development: Access to UNSW's career development programs, training, and potentially external conferences or certifications relevant to service design, ITIL, or Agile.

📝 Enhancement Note: The 24-month fixed term nature of the role, while a potential challenge for long-term career planning, also presents a focused opportunity to deliver significant impact within a defined period, build a strong portfolio piece, and gain specialized experience in a high-demand area.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you successfully translated complex user needs into a tangible technology service. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on requirements gathering, design thinking, and impact).

• "How would you approach designing a new AI-powered student support service for UNSW, considering both technical feasibility and user experience?" (Focus on innovation, user-centred design, and strategic thinking).

• "Walk us through your experience applying ITIL principles to service design or transition. How have you ensured services are operationalized effectively?" (Focus on operational readiness and framework application).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you specifically about service design within a higher education institution like UNSW?" (Demonstrate research into UNSW and the sector).

• "How do you embody UNSW's values of purposeful action and innovation in your work?" (Connect your experience to their stated values).

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment for service design. How do you build relationships with cross-functional teams?" (Assess collaboration style and team fit).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Frame each case study as a narrative: the problem, your journey to find a solution, the solution itself, and the impact.

• Highlight Your Role: Be explicit about your contributions and responsibilities within each project.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visual aids (journey maps, wireframes, data charts) to illustrate your points and demonstrate your design process.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present measurable results (e.g., % improvement in satisfaction, % reduction in support tickets, % increase in adoption).

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, trade-offs made, and lessons learned.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely assess not only technical skills but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within a large, academic institution. The portfolio presentation is a key component, so candidates should prepare to articulate their process and impact clearly and concisely.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your comprehensive application through the UNSW careers portal, including your resume and a tailored response addressing the "Who you are" section.

• Portfolio Customization: Prepare a curated portfolio that highlights 3-5 key projects demonstrating your end-to-end service design process, focusing on technology services, user research, and measurable outcomes. Ensure it's easily accessible (e.g., PDF, personal website link).

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your experience in Service Design, Business Analysis, ITIL, Agile methodologies, and your ability to translate user needs into functional requirements, using keywords from the job description naturally.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience using the STAR method for behavioural questions, and prepare a compelling presentation of your portfolio case studies, focusing on clarity, impact, and your specific contributions.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research UNSW, its IT directorate, the AI and Innovation team's mission, and the university's strategic objectives. Understand their values and how your skills align with their goals.

⚠️ 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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