Service Designer / CX Designer at Brainlake Advertising LLC

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer / CX Designer

Company: Brainlake Advertising LLC

Location: Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Customer Experience & Service Design

Date Posted: 2026-09-18

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (8+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Design and optimize end-to-end customer and service experiences by analyzing current states and envisioning future states across people, processes, and systems.
Conduct in-depth research, including stakeholder interviews and user analysis, to uncover customer needs, pain points, and business objectives.
Facilitate impactful workshops to drive discovery, co-creation, ideation, and future-state design with diverse stakeholder groups.
Translate complex business and operational workflows into clear, actionable visual outputs like journey maps, service blueprints, and process flows.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of service design concepts into deliverable experiences across digital and physical channels.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is classified under Customer Experience & Service Design, focusing on the strategic and tactical aspects of improving customer journeys and service delivery. The emphasis on "contractor" employment type suggests project-based work, requiring adaptability and a strong portfolio to showcase impact.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Conduct comprehensive research, including stakeholder interviews and user analysis, to thoroughly understand customer needs, behaviors, business objectives, and operational challenges.
Analyze existing services and business processes to pinpoint friction points, inefficiencies, critical gaps, and areas ripe for enhancement.
Map intricate end-to-end customer journeys across both digital and physical channels, identifying key moments that matter and opportunities for superior experience.
Develop detailed visualizations such as customer journey maps, empathy maps, experience maps, and service blueprints to effectively communicate findings and proposed solutions.
Design future-state (to-be) journeys and service experiences that directly address identified customer and business needs, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
Create service blueprints that clearly connect frontstage customer interactions with backstage operational processes, people, systems, and dependencies.
Plan, structure, and expertly facilitate client and stakeholder workshops, covering discovery, journey mapping, co-creation, ideation, prioritization, and future-state design sessions.
Lead dynamic workshop discussions, adeptly manage diverse stakeholder perspectives, and transform workshop outputs into clear insights, informed decisions, and defined next steps.
Translate complex business and operational workflows into clear, visually intuitive process maps and robust service models.
Foster strong collaboration with UX designers, researchers, business analysts, product teams, and other specialists to effectively translate service concepts into tangible, deliverable experiences.
Validate proposed journeys and service concepts rigorously with users and stakeholders to ensure efficacy and user acceptance.
Define clear, data-backed recommendations and opportunities that provide strategic guidance for subsequent product, UX, operational, or technology decisions.
Document and present research findings, journey maps, process designs, service concepts, and strategic recommendations with clarity and impact to senior stakeholders and clients.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, common in senior design roles. The emphasis on "end-to-end," "digital and physical channels," and "backstage processes" indicates a holistic approach to service design, requiring strong analytical and visualization skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Business, Psychology, or a related field is typically expected, though significant relevant experience may substitute.

Experience: A minimum of 8 years of hands-on experience in Service Design, Customer Experience (CX), or a closely related discipline is required. This experience should demonstrate a proven track record in transforming complex service landscapes.

Required Skills:

Proven expertise in mapping complex end-to-end customer journeys across both digital and physical touchpoints.
Strong experience in creating detailed journey maps, service blueprints, experience maps, and comprehensive process flows.
Demonstrated ability to map both current-state (as-is) and future-state (to-be) services and processes.
Advanced workshop facilitation skills, with the confidence and capability to independently plan and lead sessions with clients, senior stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
Experience facilitating a range of workshop types, including discovery, journey mapping, co-creation, ideation, prioritization, and future-state design sessions.
A strong understanding of how customer experience interplays with people, processes, operations, systems, and technology.
Experience conducting, or working directly with, customer and stakeholder research to uncover insights.
Proficient in uncovering customer needs, pain points, behavioral insights, and opportunities for service improvement.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex services and business environments into actionable strategies.
Ability to simplify complex systems, processes, and experiences into clear, visually digestible, and actionable outputs.
Strong proficiency with modern service design, research, mapping, prototyping, and collaboration tools, such as Figma, FigJam, Miro, Lucidchart, or similar platforms.
Up-to-date knowledge of the latest digital and AI-powered tools used across research synthesis, journey mapping, service design, visualization, and prototyping.
Ability to leverage AI tools to accelerate research synthesis, analysis, ideation, documentation, and service design activities, while maintaining strong human judgment and quality control.
Strong presentation, storytelling, and stakeholder communication skills, capable of conveying complex ideas persuasively.
Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams while also demonstrating the capacity to own and drive work independently.
Strong organizational skills and the agility to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing project requirements. Preferred Skills:
Arabic speaking proficiency.
Willingness to work on-site with clients.
Flexibility to work across diverse projects, industries, and client environments.
Experience with prototyping tools beyond basic wireframing, showcasing interactive service flows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The extensive experience requirement (8+ years) and emphasis on workshop facilitation and complex mapping tools suggest a senior-level individual contributor or lead role. The explicit mention of AI tools indicates a forward-thinking approach to design processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating your end-to-end service design process, from research and analysis to future-state design and recommendations.
Include examples of complex customer journey maps, detailed service blueprints, and process flows that illustrate your ability to visualize and connect various service components.
Present evidence of your workshop facilitation capabilities, detailing how you've guided teams through discovery, co-creation, and design sessions, with outcomes.
Demonstrate your analytical thinking by explaining how you synthesized research findings and identified key insights that drove design decisions.
Highlight your proficiency with design and collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Miro, Lucidchart) through visual examples of your work and process documentation.
Include examples of how you've translated complex operational realities and system dependencies into understandable service models. Process Documentation:
Document your approach to conducting user and stakeholder research, including methodologies for uncovering needs and pain points.
Illustrate your process for mapping current-state (as-is) services and future-state (to-be) designs, detailing the tools and techniques used.
Showcase your methodology for designing service blueprints, emphasizing the connection between frontstage and backstage elements.
Detail your approach to planning, facilitating, and synthesizing outcomes from workshops with diverse stakeholders.
Provide examples of how you document and present complex findings, service concepts, and strategic recommendations to senior audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, especially given the contractor nature. It should not just present final outputs but clearly articulate the process and impact of the designer's work, showcasing their ability to handle complexity and drive tangible improvements.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Service Designer / CX Designer with 8+ years of experience in Dubai, UAE, the estimated salary range is AED 25,000 - 40,000 per month, depending on the specific project scope, client, and candidate's demonstrated impact. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in the Dubai market, considering the contractor employment type and the specialized skills required.

Benefits: As a contractor, benefits are typically determined by the contract terms. However, common inclusions or considerations for such roles in Dubai may include:

Project-based remuneration.
Potential for contract extension or future project opportunities.
Reimbursement for specific project-related expenses (e.g., travel to client sites if applicable beyond standard commute).
Opportunities for professional development through exposure to diverse client projects and industries.

Working Hours: The role is expected to involve a standard work week, likely around 40 hours, with flexibility often required based on client needs and project deadlines. Occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary, particularly during intensive workshop facilitation or critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on market research for senior-level contract design roles in Dubai, considering the specialized nature of service design and CX. Benefits are outlined as typical for contractor positions, emphasizing that specific terms will be negotiated per contract.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Advertising & Marketing Services. Brainlake Advertising LLC operates within the dynamic advertising and marketing sector, suggesting a fast-paced environment focused on client solutions, creative strategies, and digital innovation. This context implies that service design and CX expertise are valued for enhancing client offerings and operational efficiency within the agency.

Company Size: While specific numbers are not provided, the "LLC" designation and the nature of advertising agencies suggest a medium-sized firm, possibly with specialized teams for different client needs. For operations professionals, this often means a more agile structure, direct access to leadership, and the opportunity to make a visible impact across various projects.

Founded: Information on the founding date is not available.

Team Structure:

The Service Designer / CX Designer is likely to be part of a broader design, strategy, or client services team within the agency.
Reporting structure will probably be to a Head of Design, Creative Director, or a Senior Strategy Lead, depending on the agency's organizational chart.
Cross-functional collaboration is expected with account managers, UX/UI designers, researchers, strategists, and potentially development teams to integrate service design insights into client projects. Methodology:
Data-driven insights will be crucial, leveraging research and analytics to inform service design decisions.
Agile and iterative design processes are likely employed to adapt to client feedback and evolving project requirements.
A strong emphasis on user-centricity, ensuring that customer needs are at the forefront of all service design initiatives.
Collaboration and co-creation with clients and internal teams to build consensus and drive shared understanding of service improvements.

Company Website: https://jobs.workable.com/company/1Ks6bzaW1zFF62Xr7snSZ6/jobs-at-brainlake-advertising-llc

📝 Enhancement Note: The industry context of advertising implies a client-facing role where service design directly contributes to client satisfaction and agency differentiation. The contractor status suggests that the agency uses external expertise for specific projects or to augment internal capabilities.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Mid-to-Senior level, requiring at least 8 years of specialized experience. It's a hands-on, individual contributor role with significant autonomy and responsibility for driving service design outcomes. The emphasis is on deep expertise in service design methodologies and the ability to lead complex projects independently.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a senior creative or strategy lead within the agency. While not a management role, it demands the ability to influence stakeholders across different departments and client organizations.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is directly tied to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of client services and customer experiences. This translates to increased client satisfaction, potential for repeat business, enhanced brand perception, and optimized operational costs for clients, which in turn reflects positively on Brainlake Advertising's service delivery and reputation.

Growth Opportunities:

Project Leadership: Opportunity to lead multiple service design projects, managing scope, timelines, and client relationships.
Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like AI-driven service design, advanced journey mapping techniques, or specific industry verticals.
Client Relationship Building: Develop strong relationships with key clients, potentially leading to ongoing contract opportunities or strategic advisory roles.
Methodology Refinement: Contribute to the refinement and evolution of Brainlake's service design methodologies and best practices.
Potential for Full-Time Transition: Depending on project success and agency needs, a contractor role may open doors to full-time employment opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a contractor role, growth is primarily project-based and skill-focused rather than traditional hierarchical advancement. The emphasis is on demonstrating high-level expertise and impact within defined project scopes.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role requires working on-site, indicating an office-based environment within Dubai. This suggests a collaborative workspace typical of an advertising agency, fostering interaction with colleagues and potentially clients. The explicit mention of "willingness to work on-site with clients" further emphasizes a hands-on, in-person approach.

Office Location(s): Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This location is a global hub for business and innovation, offering a dynamic professional landscape.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Environment: Expect an open or semi-open office setup conducive to brainstorming, team discussions, and cross-functional collaboration.
Tools & Technology: Access to standard office technology, design software (Figma, Miro, etc.), and potentially specialized research or prototyping tools provided by the agency.
Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with account managers, creative teams, strategists, and other design professionals, fostering a vibrant and dynamic work atmosphere. The on-site requirement facilitates spontaneous collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is likely 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday. However, given the project-driven nature of advertising and the contractor status, there will be an expectation of flexibility to meet project deadlines, which may occasionally require extended hours or weekend work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement and agency environment suggest a dynamic, collaborative, and potentially fast-paced setting. Candidates should be comfortable working in an office and interacting directly with team members and clients.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements.
Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: You will likely be asked to present key case studies from your portfolio, detailing your process, insights, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss your approach to research, journey mapping, service blueprinting, and workshop facilitation.
Skills-Based Interview: Questions will focus on your practical experience with service design methodologies, tools (Figma, Miro, etc.), problem-solving abilities, and stakeholder management. Expect scenario-based questions.
Client & Project Scenario Discussion: You may be presented with hypothetical client challenges or project briefs to gauge your strategic thinking and approach to design solutions.
Cultural Fit & Logistics: Discussion regarding your availability, working style, and fit with the agency's collaborative environment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your most relevant and impactful case studies that clearly demonstrate your end-to-end service design process, especially those involving complex challenges and measurable outcomes.
Narrate Your Process: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the methodologies you employed (research, mapping, facilitation), your key insights, the solutions you designed, and the impact achieved. Use visuals effectively.
Showcase Tool Proficiency: Integrate examples of your work created with tools like Figma, Miro, and Lucidchart. Explain why you chose specific tools for particular tasks.
Highlight Collaboration: If possible, demonstrate how you collaborated with clients and cross-functional teams, showing how you managed different perspectives and achieved consensus.
Focus on Impact: Quantify results wherever possible (e.g., improved customer satisfaction scores, reduced process time, increased conversion rates). If direct metrics are unavailable, articulate the expected impact and rationale.
Address AI Usage: Be prepared to discuss how you've integrated AI tools into your workflow, emphasizing how they enhance efficiency and quality while maintaining human oversight.

Challenge Preparation:

Process Mapping Exercise: You might be asked to map a simplified process or journey on the spot. Practice breaking down complex flows into logical steps.
Ideation Challenge: Be ready to brainstorm solutions for a given service design problem, demonstrating creativity and strategic thinking.
Workshop Simulation: Prepare to explain how you would structure and facilitate a specific type of workshop (e.g., journey mapping for a new service).
Stakeholder Communication: Practice articulating complex design concepts and recommendations clearly and concisely, as if presenting to a client or senior stakeholder.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes portfolio review and practical application of service design skills. Candidates must be prepared to articulate their process, demonstrate tool proficiency, and showcase tangible results.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Design & Collaboration: Figma, FigJam, Miro, Lucidchart (proficiency with these or similar tools is essential for journey mapping, service blueprinting, co-creation, and visualization).
Prototyping: Tools for creating interactive prototypes to visualize service flows and user interactions.
Research & Synthesis: Tools for qualitative and quantitative research analysis, user feedback synthesis, and insight generation.

Analytics & Reporting:

Tools for analyzing customer data, operational metrics, and service performance to identify trends, pain points, and opportunities for improvement.
Dashboarding tools for visualizing key performance indicators (KPIs) related to customer experience and service efficiency. CRM & Automation:
Understanding of how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and automation platforms impact customer journeys and operational processes.
Familiarity with how these systems can be leveraged or improved through service design interventions.
AI Tools: Proficiency or a strong understanding of how to leverage AI tools for research synthesis, analysis, ideation, documentation, and service design acceleration is a key requirement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role demands a strong command of modern design and collaboration software, with a particular emphasis on tools used for mapping and visualization. The explicit mention of AI tools indicates a requirement to be current with emerging technologies in the design field.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Client-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and addressing client needs and their customers' experiences.
Excellence in Design: Striving for high-quality, innovative, and effective service design solutions.
Collaboration & Teamwork: Working effectively with internal teams and clients to achieve shared goals.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing research and analytics to inform design choices and measure impact.
Agility & Adaptability: Embracing change and adapting quickly to project demands and client feedback.
Continuous Learning: Staying curious and up-to-date with the latest design trends, tools, and AI capabilities.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Actively engaging with account management, creative, strategy, and technical teams to ensure holistic service design implementation.
Open Communication: Fostering an environment where ideas and feedback can be shared freely and constructively.
Workshop-Driven: Utilizing workshops as a primary method for collaborative problem-solving, ideation, and consensus-building.
Client Partnership: Building strong, trusting relationships with clients, positioning oneself as a strategic partner in their service improvement journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style emphasize a client-focused, collaborative, and results-oriented approach, typical of a successful advertising agency environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Managing Diverse Stakeholder Expectations: Balancing the needs and perspectives of various clients, internal teams, and end-users can be complex.
Translating Insights into Actionable Solutions: Moving from research findings and journey maps to concrete, implementable service improvements requires strategic thinking and practical design.
Adapting to Varied Client Industries: Each client project may present unique industry challenges, requiring rapid learning and adaptation of service design principles.
Integrating AI Effectively: Staying ahead of the curve with AI tools and integrating them seamlessly into workflows while maintaining human oversight and quality can be an ongoing challenge.
Demonstrating ROI for Service Design: Clearly articulating and quantifying the business impact of service design initiatives to clients can be demanding.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Exposure to Diverse Industries: Working on a variety of client projects provides broad exposure to different business models and customer segments.
Advanced Tool Mastery: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized design, collaboration, and AI tools.
Client-Facing Experience: Developing strong presentation and stakeholder management skills through direct client interaction.
Methodology Innovation: Contributing to and learning new service design techniques and approaches, including AI-augmented methods.
Networking: Building a professional network within the Dubai business community and the broader design industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a senior, client-facing design role, offering significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"Describe a time you had to design a service that spanned both digital and physical touchpoints. What were the key challenges and how did you address them?" (Focus on your process, tools, and how you connected disparate elements.)
"How do you approach facilitating a workshop with senior stakeholders who have conflicting priorities?" (Highlight your facilitation techniques, conflict resolution skills, and ability to drive towards consensus.)
"Walk us through a service blueprint you created. What was the business problem, what did the blueprint reveal, and what were the resulting recommendations?" (Be ready to present a case study from your portfolio and explain the backstage/frontstage connections.)
"How have you used AI tools in your service design process? Provide a specific example of how AI accelerated your work or improved the outcome." (Prepare to discuss your practical experience with AI in research synthesis, ideation, or documentation.) Company & Culture Questions:
"What do you know about Brainlake Advertising and our approach to client services?" (Research the company's website and recent work.)
"How do you see your service design skills contributing to an advertising agency's success?" (Connect your expertise to client acquisition, retention, and brand building.)
"Describe your ideal collaboration style when working with account managers and creative teams." (Emphasize teamwork, open communication, and a shared client focus.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
Structure is Key: Begin with a high-level overview of the project, then dive into your process (research, analysis, design), highlighting key deliverables (maps, blueprints) and insights. Conclude with the impact or recommendations.
Tell a Story: Frame each case study as a narrative – the challenge, your journey to a solution, and the outcome.
Be Visual: Use high-quality images of your work. Annotate them to explain specific design decisions or insights.
Quantify When Possible: Present metrics or anticipated benefits to demonstrate the tangible value of your design work.
Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, your reasoning, and how you handled challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on articulating a clear, impactful design process, demonstrating practical application of tools and methodologies, and showcasing an understanding of the agency context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer / CX Designer position:

Submit your CV and portfolio directly to careers@brainlake.com.
Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features case studies relevant to end-to-end service design, journey mapping, service blueprints, and workshop facilitation. Tailor the presentation to highlight your experience with digital and physical channels.
Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your 8+ years of experience, focusing on achievements in service design and CX. Use keywords from the job description, such as "journey mapping," "service blueprints," "workshop facilitation," and "Figma/Miro."
Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on your process, insights, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your experience with AI tools and how you approach client collaboration.
Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Brainlake Advertising LLC, their client work, and their position in the advertising industry to demonstrate your interest and understanding of their business context.

⚠️ 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.

Service Designer / CX Designer