Service Designer (Hybrid)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer (Hybrid)

Company: UNSW

Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Job Type: Full-time, Fixed-term Contract

Category: Service Design / UX / Digital Transformation Operations

Date Posted: September 02, 2026

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the transformation of UNSW's Learning Management System (LMS) and associated services through expert application of Service Design methodologies.

• Translate complex user needs and business objectives into actionable service blueprints, journey maps, and design artefacts for a large-scale digital transformation program.

• Collaborate extensively with diverse stakeholders, including students, educators, professional staff, product teams, engineers, and vendors, to co-create and deliver enhanced technology-enabled experiences.

• Ensure solutions are not only user-centric but also operationally sound, scalable, and sustainable by integrating user insights with operational requirements and service support models.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role title is "Service Designer," its focus on a major digital transformation program (LMS), collaboration with technical and delivery teams, and emphasis on operational requirements and service models positions it strongly within the GTM/Operations adjacent space, particularly concerning the user adoption and ongoing support of a critical enterprise system. The core responsibilities involve designing the service around a technology, which is a key aspect of GTM and operational success for digital products.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive user research and discovery activities to deeply understand the needs, behaviours, and pain points of students, educators, professional staff, and support teams interacting with the LMS ecosystem.

• Facilitate workshops, interviews, and co-design sessions with diverse stakeholder groups to gather critical insights and inform effective service design outcomes.

• Develop detailed service design artefacts, including user journey maps, comprehensive service blueprints, personas, stakeholder maps, and future-state service models.

• Co-design end-to-end technology-enabled service experiences across the LMS ecosystem, meticulously considering user, business, technical, and operational requirements.

• Translate research findings and user insights into practical recommendations, service requirements, and design outputs that directly inform program and solution decision-making.

• Work collaboratively with Service Owners, business stakeholders, product teams, and vendors to identify and implement opportunities for service improvements and enhanced user experiences.

• Partner with engineering, UX/UI, architecture, cybersecurity, and delivery teams to ensure service design outcomes are clearly understood and accurately reflected in solution design and implementation.

• Contribute to the development and evaluation of proof-of-concepts, prototypes, and pilot activities to rigorously test usability, functionality, scalability, and service viability.

• Assess and communicate service viability considerations, including user value, operational impacts, scalability, and implementation readiness, to support informed program decisions.

• Support the design of robust operational processes, scalable service models, and essential supporting practices required for the successful implementation of LMS-related services.

• Integrate service support, operational processes, and transition requirements into future-state service designs to ensure successful adoption and ongoing delivery.

• Analyze user feedback, service metrics, operational insights, and research findings to identify opportunities for continuous improvement, measure service effectiveness, and inform strategic decision-making.

• Apply Human-Centred Design and Service Design methodologies consistently across the LMS Program to ensure solutions remain aligned with user and stakeholder needs.

• Create and maintain clear, concise documentation and design artefacts that effectively communicate insights, recommendations, and service design outcomes to diverse stakeholder groups.

• Uphold and actively demonstrate the UNSW Code of Conduct and Values, ensuring all work aligns with organizational principles.

• Identify and control psychosocial and physical health and safety risks associated with tasks, projects, and activities within the area of responsibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on process definition, operational integration, and translating user needs into functional requirements for a large-scale technology implementation. This aligns with the core functions of operations-focused roles that bridge the gap between user experience and system delivery, ensuring successful adoption and ongoing effectiveness.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Business, Information Technology, or a related field is typically expected for this level of experience. Advanced degrees or certifications in Service Design or UX are advantageous.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in Service Design, Business Analysis, or a closely related role, with a significant portion focused on complex digital transformation, enterprise technology, or large-scale change programs.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience applying Service Design practices within complex digital transformation, enterprise technology, or large-scale change programs, ideally involving technology-enabled services or platforms.

• Strong understanding and practical application of Human-Centred Design (HCD) methods, including user research, journey mapping, service blueprinting, workshop facilitation, and co-design techniques.

• Demonstrated ability to translate user needs, research findings, and business requirements into practical service and experience improvements.

• Experience working collaboratively with diverse business stakeholders, technical teams, vendors, and delivery teams within complex organizational environments.

• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with a proven ability to build strong relationships across varied stakeholder groups.

• Experience contributing to discovery activities, pilots, proof-of-concepts, or iterative testing approaches that inform service and product decisions.

• Proficiency in creating essential service design artefacts such as journey maps, service blueprints, personas, ecosystem maps, and future-state service models.

• Understanding of operational service considerations, service support requirements, and the factors that contribute to sustainable service delivery and continuous improvement.

• Familiarity with enterprise platforms, digital products, or service ecosystems, and a solid grasp of the operational considerations required to support them.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to leverage qualitative and quantitative insights to inform strategic decision-making.

• Ability to manage competing priorities effectively and work autonomously as well as collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.

• A commitment to and understanding of UNSW's aims, objectives, values, and relevant policies, including health and safety responsibilities. Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within Agile, Scrum, or other iterative delivery environments.

• Understanding of technology delivery approaches and lifecycles.

• Knowledge of UX/UI principles and best practices.

• Experience with specific LMS platforms or higher education technology systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5+ years of experience" combined with "complex digital transformation" and "enterprise technology" strongly suggests a mid-to-senior level role. The emphasis on translating user needs into actionable requirements and considering operational impacts is a hallmark of operations-adjacent roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 distinct projects demonstrating end-to-end service design expertise, with a focus on complex digital transformation or enterprise technology initiatives.

• For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, the methodologies and tools used (e.g., journey maps, service blueprints, user research methods), and the impact of your design decisions.

• Highlight projects that involved significant stakeholder engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and the translation of user insights into tangible service improvements or requirements.

• Include examples of how your service design work informed or directly shaped operational processes, service models, or implementation strategies.

• Demonstrate your ability to present complex service ecosystems and future-state visions clearly and concisely. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of your ability to document and communicate service design processes, from initial discovery and research through to the development of service blueprints and operational readiness assessments.

• Showcase examples of how you have documented user needs, identified pain points, and mapped them to actionable design recommendations and service requirements.

• Include examples of how you have documented future-state service models, including considerations for operational support, scalability, and continuous improvement.

• Demonstrate your approach to documenting the translation of user insights into specific requirements for technical implementation and operational handover.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Service Designer role in a large transformation program, a portfolio is critical. It needs to demonstrate not just design thinking, but also the ability to operationalize those designs and integrate them into broader technical and business processes. This is where candidates can showcase their understanding of how design impacts real-world delivery and ongoing system management.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: AUD $153,933 - $163,338 per annum, plus 17% superannuation and leave loading.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Retirement Savings: 17% Superannuation contributions, significantly above the standard Australian contribution rate, enhancing long-term financial security.

• Annual Leave Loading: Additional payment on top of base salary when taking annual leave, providing extra financial benefit.

• Extended Holiday Period: 3 additional days of leave granted over the Christmas period, offering extended time for rest and personal pursuits.

• Employee Discounts & Entitlements: Access to a range of discounts and entitlements across retail, education, and fitness, adding value to everyday life and professional development.

• Career Development: Opportunities for professional growth and advancement within a leading educational institution.

• Hybrid Work Arrangement: Flexibility to balance on-site collaboration with remote work, promoting work-life integration.

Working Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement implies flexibility in how these hours are structured between on-site and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided explicitly and is competitive for a senior Service Designer role in Sydney. The benefits package is also detailed and includes substantial superannuation contributions, which is a key financial advantage. The 35-hour work week is standard for many Australian universities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Higher Education / Research. UNSW is a globally recognized university, focusing on research, innovation, and education, which often translates into a culture that values continuous learning, academic rigor, and impactful contributions.

Company Size: Large. UNSW is one of Australia's largest universities, with tens of thousands of staff and students, implying a complex organizational structure, diverse stakeholder groups, and a significant scale of operations. This scale necessitates robust processes and clear communication channels.

Founded: 1949. UNSW has a long history, suggesting established traditions, a strong reputation, and a mature organizational framework, alongside ongoing efforts to modernize and adapt, such as the LMS transformation program.

Team Structure:

• The Service Designer will report to the HCD/UX Manager, indicating a dedicated Human-Centred Design function within the LMS Program.

• The role involves close collaboration with Service Owners, business stakeholders, product teams, UX/UI designers, engineers, architects, cybersecurity specialists, and delivery teams, suggesting a matrixed or project-based team structure common in large transformation initiatives.

• This implies a need for strong interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate different functional priorities and working styles. Methodology:

• The program emphasizes Human-Centred Design (HCD) and Service Design as core methodologies.

• Expect a strong focus on user research, iterative development, co-design, and data-driven decision-making.

• Agile and Scrum methodologies are mentioned, indicating a preference for flexible, iterative approaches to project delivery.

• Emphasis on translating insights into practical requirements and operational readiness for sustainable service delivery.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: UNSW's status as a major university suggests a culture that balances academic pursuit with operational efficiency, especially in large-scale digital initiatives. The HCD/UX Manager reporting line indicates a commitment to user-centricity within the program's operational framework.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-to-senior level within the Service Design/UX discipline, with a significant operational impact. The "5+ years of experience" and responsibility for shaping a critical university-wide system indicate a level of autonomy and influence. The role acts as a crucial bridge between user experience strategy and the operational realities of delivering and maintaining technology-enabled services.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer reports to the HCD/UX Manager, providing a direct line of guidance and mentorship within the design function. However, the role's collaborative nature means significant interaction with various stakeholders across different departments and project teams, requiring effective communication and influence across a broader organizational matrix.

Operations Impact: The Service Designer's impact is profound, directly influencing how tens of thousands of students, educators, and staff interact with the core LMS. By designing user-centric, operationally sound services, the role contributes to:

• Enhanced teaching and learning effectiveness.

• Improved student and staff satisfaction.

• Increased efficiency in administrative and support processes related to the LMS.

• Successful adoption and long-term sustainability of a critical university platform.

• Reduced support costs and operational friction through well-designed services. Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in Service Design for large-scale digital transformations within the higher education sector.

• Leadership: Potential to move into senior Service Designer, Lead Service Designer, or HCD/UX Manager roles, leading teams and strategic design initiatives.

• Operational Strategy: Gain significant experience in the operationalization of technology services, understanding the nuances of service delivery, support, and continuous improvement in a large enterprise context.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Develop broader understanding of IT architecture, cybersecurity, agile delivery, and business operations within a major university.

• Program Impact: Contribute to a flagship digital transformation program, offering high visibility and a tangible impact on the university's operational and educational landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Impact" section is crucial for framing this role. While a designer by title, the successful execution of this role directly contributes to operational success by ensuring the system is usable, adopted, and supported effectively. Growth opportunities lean towards both design leadership and operational strategy within large-scale IT programs.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work arrangement, based at the UNSW Kensington Campus. This suggests a blend of on-site collaboration and remote flexibility. The campus environment offers access to university facilities and a vibrant academic community.

Office Location(s): UNSW Kensington Campus, Sydney, NSW. This is a major university campus with dedicated office spaces, collaborative zones, and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect access to meeting rooms, workshop spaces, and potentially co-working areas designed for team collaboration, crucial for co-design sessions and stakeholder workshops.

• Tools & Technology: The role will likely involve standard office productivity software, design and prototyping tools, and access to project management and communication platforms used by the LMS Program.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with a diverse, multidisciplinary team, including designers, business analysts, product managers, and technical leads, fostering a dynamic and intellectually stimulating work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time, 35 hours per week. The hybrid nature allows for some flexibility in structuring workdays, balancing focused individual work (potentially remote) with essential in-person collaboration and meetings on campus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is key here, indicating a need for candidates who can manage their time effectively across different work settings and leverage both remote and on-site opportunities for productivity and collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and cover letter, potentially including responses to mandatory application questions.

• Portfolio Presentation/Interview: A session where candidates present their portfolio, showcasing relevant projects and demonstrating their approach to service design, user research, and operational considerations. Expect to discuss specific case studies.

• Skills-Based Interview: Deeper dive into technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and experience with specific methodologies (HCD, Service Design, Agile).

• Stakeholder/Team Interview: Meeting with the HCD/UX Manager and potentially other key stakeholders (e.g., Service Owners, Product Leads) to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and ability to influence.

• Final Interview/Offer: Discussions regarding role expectations, salary, and terms of employment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution, and the measurable outcomes or impact on users and the organization. Quantify results where possible (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced user errors, increased adoption rates).

• Showcase Process: Detail your methodology – how you conducted research, facilitated workshops, developed artefacts (journey maps, blueprints), and translated insights into actionable requirements.

• Highlight Collaboration: Demonstrate how you worked with diverse teams (business, technical, user groups) and managed stakeholder expectations.

• Address Operationalization: Include examples where your design work directly informed or supported operational processes, service models, or implementation plans. This is critical for this role.

• Tailor to UNSW: Briefly explain why your experience is relevant to UNSW's context and the LMS transformation program.

Challenge Preparation:

• Mandatory Questions: Prepare detailed, STAR-method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answers for the mandatory application questions. These are designed to assess your practical experience with user needs discovery, HCD methods, inclusive design, and large-scale program experience.

• Service Design Case Study: Be ready to discuss a complex service design challenge you've tackled, focusing on how you balanced user needs with technical and operational constraints.

• Operationalization Discussion: Prepare to discuss how you ensure service designs are practical to implement, support, and sustain long-term. Think about service models, support structures, and continuous improvement loops.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mandatory application questions are a key indicator of what UNSW values and wants to see in candidates. They directly probe practical application of HCD and experience in large-scale digital programs, which are core to this role's operational success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), potentially Axure or similar for interactive prototyping.

• Collaboration & Whiteboarding Tools: Miro, Mural, Microsoft Whiteboard, Confluence, Jira.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for surveys, usability testing, and data analysis (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform, UserTesting.com, Dovetail).

• Project Management Tools: Jira, Asana, Trello (likely used by delivery teams).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics (or similar) for understanding user behaviour on digital platforms.

• Data Analysis Tools: Excel, Tableau, Power BI (or similar) for analyzing user feedback, service metrics, and operational data.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how enterprise platforms (like an LMS) integrate with broader university systems and impact student/staff journeys is key. Experience with enterprise-level platforms and their interconnectedness is valuable.

• Understanding of workflow automation principles as they apply to service delivery and support processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is Service Designer, proficiency with collaboration, prototyping, and user research tools is essential. The mention of "operational requirements," "service support models," and "continuous improvement" implies a need to understand how design translates into system performance and data analysis for ongoing optimization.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Human-Centred: A foundational value, ensuring that all designs and service improvements are rooted in a deep understanding of user needs and behaviours.

• Purposeful & Practical: Combining thoughtful design with practical implementation considerations, ensuring solutions are effective and deliver tangible value.

• Collaborative: Working effectively across diverse teams and stakeholder groups, fostering a shared understanding and commitment to program goals.

• Data-Driven: Utilizing research, feedback, and metrics to inform decisions, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement.

• Innovative & Adaptive: Embracing new approaches and technologies to solve complex problems and evolve services for the future.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role requires seamless collaboration with business stakeholders, product teams, and technical experts to ensure alignment between user experience, business objectives, and technical feasibility.

• Co-Design & Facilitation: A strong emphasis on inclusive facilitation and co-design workshops to bring diverse perspectives together and build consensus.

• Open Communication: Maintaining transparent and regular communication channels to share insights, progress, and challenges across the program and with university-wide stakeholders.

• Feedback-Oriented: An environment where feedback is actively sought, given, and incorporated into iterative design and development processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: UNSW's stated values ("thoughtful, practical, and purposeful") are directly reflected in the requirements for this role. The emphasis on collaboration and a data-driven approach is critical for success in a large transformation program, ensuring that design decisions are not only user-focused but also operationally sound and aligned with broader institutional goals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Diverse Needs: Managing the competing needs and priorities of various stakeholder groups (students, academics, IT, administration) within a large, complex organization.

• Translating Ambiguity: Converting broad program goals and user feedback into concrete, actionable service designs and requirements.

• Operational Integration: Ensuring that designed services are practical, sustainable, and effectively integrated into existing operational processes and support structures.

• Change Management: Navigating resistance to change and driving adoption of new services and experiences across a large user base.

• Technical Constraints: Working within the limitations and possibilities of existing or planned technology infrastructure and vendor capabilities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Service Design Expertise: Gain extensive experience in a large-scale, multi-year digital transformation program within the higher education sector.

• Operationalization Skills: Develop a strong understanding of operationalizing technology services, including service support, process design, and continuous improvement methodologies.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Enhance collaboration and influence skills by working closely with IT architecture, cybersecurity, product management, and delivery teams.

• Strategic Impact: Contribute significantly to a flagship university initiative, offering high visibility and the opportunity to shape the future of digital services at UNSW.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from the HCD/UX Manager and senior leaders within the LMS Program.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a candidate who is not only a skilled designer but also a pragmatic problem-solver with a strong understanding of operational realities and change management. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to build expertise in a critical area of digital transformation within a reputable institution.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• User Needs vs. Stated Needs: "Share a detailed example of how you uncovered the true user needs when people say one thing and do another?"

  • Preparation: Prepare a STAR-method example. Focus on the methods you used (observation, contextual inquiry, multiple feedback loops) to uncover latent needs. Highlight how you validated these findings and translated them into design changes that addressed the actual problem, not just the stated one.

• HCD Methods & Artefacts: "What Human-Centred Design prototypes, methods, and artefacts have you used most frequently (e.g. user research, journey mapping, service blueprinting, co-design workshops)?"

  • Preparation: Be ready to discuss your go-to HCD toolkit and why you choose specific methods for different project phases or problems. For each, explain its purpose and how it contributes to understanding users and defining services.

• Inclusive Design & Translation: "Describe how you test your designs with people who have differing abilities and backgrounds? How have you translated these user insights into requirements, design decisions or implemented solutions?"

  • Preparation: Emphasize your commitment to accessibility and inclusive design from the outset. Provide specific examples of testing with diverse user groups (e.g., users with disabilities, varying digital literacy levels, different cultural backgrounds). Detail how you incorporated feedback into design iterations and documented it as actionable requirements.

• Transformation Program Experience: "What experience do you have working within large-scale digital transformation, enterprise technology or platform implementation programs?"

  • Preparation: Frame your experience in terms of scale, complexity, and the specific types of technology or platforms involved. Highlight your understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in such programs, particularly regarding service design's role in bridging user needs with technical delivery.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Research UNSW's strategic goals, its mission, and its current initiatives, especially concerning digital transformation and student/staff experience.

• Understand the values UNSW promotes (e.g., equity, diversity, inclusion). Be prepared to discuss how your approach to service design aligns with these values.

• Consider how you would adapt your collaboration style to fit within a large, established university environment. Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation around the story of each project: the challenge, your approach, the solutions, and the impact.

• Visual Clarity: Use clear, well-designed slides with minimal text. Showcase your artefacts (maps, blueprints) effectively.

• Focus on "Why" and "How": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions and the methods you employed.

• Operational Relevance: Explicitly link your design outcomes to operational considerations, service delivery, and user adoption. This is key for this role.

• Engagement: Be prepared for questions about your process, decisions, and how you handle challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Process Design: Be ready to discuss how you would design a service process for a specific LMS-related scenario (e.g., student onboarding to the LMS, faculty support for a new feature).

• Stakeholder Management: Discuss how you would manage conflicting requirements from different departments regarding LMS functionality or support.

• Data Interpretation: Be prepared to discuss how you would use hypothetical user feedback or service metrics to identify areas for improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mandatory questions are direct prompts for interview preparation. They cover core competencies UNSW is seeking: user research, HCD application, inclusive design, and experience in large-scale programs. Candidates should prepare detailed, specific examples for each.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your CV and a cover letter addressing your suitability for the role via the application portal before the deadline of 11:30 pm on September 14, 2026.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating your experience in large-scale digital transformation, enterprise technology, and the translation of user needs into operational service requirements. Highlight your use of service blueprints, journey maps, and user research in complex environments.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to include keywords from the job description, such as "Service Design," "Human-Centred Design," "Digital Transformation," "LMS," "Stakeholder Engagement," "Operational Processes," and "Service Models." Quantify your achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly prepare for the interview process by reviewing the mandatory application questions and crafting detailed, STAR-method responses. Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on your process, impact, and operational considerations.

• Company Research: Gain a deep understanding of UNSW's mission, values, and strategic objectives, particularly concerning digital innovation and student/staff experience. Research the LMS Program's goals and expected outcomes to align your application and interview responses with the organization's vision.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, particularly regarding specific tools, exact portfolio requirements, and detailed interview processes, should be verified directly with the hiring organization or by consulting the Position Description at JOBS@UNSW before making application decisions.