Service Designer Team Lead 3 Months onsite in Abu Dhabi - Octopus by RTG

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer Team Lead

Company: Octopus by RTG (Robusta)

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Job Type: Contract (3 Months)

Category: Customer Experience Design / Service Operations

Date Posted: August 30, 2026

Experience Level: 7+ Years (Mid-to-Senior Level)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic design and transformation of customer experiences across physical, digital, and assisted-service channels, ensuring a cohesive and impactful customer journey.

• Establish and own service experience design standards, driving consistency and excellence in customer interactions within the energy and mobility sectors.

• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing Service Design team, fostering a collaborative and innovative design environment.

• Partner closely with Operations, IT, Human Capital, and other key functions to ensure seamless integration of service design principles into frontline processes and training.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a critical, hands-on leadership position focused on operationalizing customer experience excellence within a specific industry context (energy and mobility). The 3-month onsite contract in Abu Dhabi indicates a project-based engagement requiring immediate impact and on-the-ground presence. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration highlights the need for strong communication and influencing skills to drive change.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and establish robust service experience design standards and methodologies for physical, digital, and assisted-service channels.

• Lead the end-to-end redesign of key customer-facing services, including Fuel, EV Charging, LPG, Car Wash, and VIP/Value-added services.

• Plan and expertly facilitate structured ideation and co-design workshops with diverse service lines and stakeholders to drive collaborative innovation.

• Develop and implement a persona-anchored journey design methodology, ensuring design priorities are strategically aligned with key customer segments.

• Conduct in-depth customer research to identify critical pain points, opportunities, and actionable improvements across complete customer journeys.

• Prioritize service design initiatives, recommending investments that yield the greatest customer satisfaction and business impact.

• Build, lead, coach, and develop a dedicated Service Design team, including a Service Design Specialist and Analyst.

• Represent Service Design effectively in cross-functional delivery and governance reviews with Operations, IT, Human Capital, and other relevant departments.

• Collaborate with Quality & Training and Call & Service Center teams to translate service design standards into practical frontline processes, scripts, and training materials.

• Ensure a consistent and high-quality customer experience across all frontline and digital touchpoints, aligning with intended design principles.

• Create comprehensive service design deliverables such as service blueprints, customer journey maps, personas, and experience principles.

• Drive stakeholder alignment and ensure service design recommendations are effectively translated into actionable implementation plans for execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly define a strategic and operational role. The emphasis on "owning" standards and "leading" redesign initiatives indicates a senior level of accountability. The specific service lines mentioned (Fuel, EV Charging, etc.) provide crucial context for candidates to tailor their experience and portfolio.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Business, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field. Master's degree or relevant certifications in Service Design or CX are a strong plus. Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in Service Design, Customer Experience (CX), Experience Design, or a closely related field.

• Proven track record of leading successful service design or CX transformation initiatives across multiple customer touchpoints and channels.

• Demonstrated experience designing and optimizing end-to-end customer journeys that span physical, digital, and assisted-service channels.

• Extensive experience in facilitating impactful ideation, co-design, and cross-functional stakeholder workshops.

• Deep understanding of core service design methodologies, including advanced customer journey mapping, persona development, service blueprinting, qualitative customer research, and defining experience principles.

• Previous experience in a team lead or managerial capacity, with a strong emphasis on coaching, mentoring, and developing service design professionals.

• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively and influence across business, operations, technology, and customer-facing functions.

• Experience in translating abstract service design concepts into concrete frontline processes, operational standards, scripts, and effective training materials.

• Outstanding communication, presentation, facilitation, and complex problem-solving skills.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and contribute immediately in an onsite capacity in Abu Dhabi for the full 3-month contract duration.

• Experience working within large, complex, customer-facing organizations, particularly within the energy or mobility sectors, is highly preferred. Required Skills:

• Service Design Methodologies: Expertise in journey mapping, persona development, service blueprints, user research, and experience principles.

• Facilitation & Workshop Leadership: Proven ability to lead and guide diverse groups through ideation, co-design, and problem-solving sessions.

• Stakeholder Management: Strong skills in building relationships, influencing decisions, and managing expectations across various business units and levels.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to partner effectively with Operations, IT, Marketing, HR, and customer-facing teams to drive integrated solutions.

• Customer Journey Transformation: Experience in analyzing, redesigning, and implementing improvements to customer journeys across multiple channels.

Preferred Skills:

• Team Leadership & Coaching: Experience in managing, mentoring, and developing junior designers or analysts.

• Industry Expertise: Specific experience within the energy, utilities, or mobility sectors.

• Change Management: Understanding of change management principles to drive adoption of new service designs.

• Digital Transformation: Familiarity with digital service design and integration strategies.

• UX/UI Principles: Foundational understanding of user experience and user interface design best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirements are clearly defined, with a strong emphasis on leadership and practical application of service design principles within an operational context. The preference for industry-specific experience is a key differentiator for candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Service Redesign: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies illustrating end-to-end service redesign projects, from initial research and ideation through to implementation and impact measurement.

• Journey Mapping & Service Blueprint Examples: Provide clear examples of customer journey maps and service blueprints created for complex customer interactions, demonstrating a deep understanding of user flow and operational touchpoints.

• Persona Development Artifacts: Include examples of personas developed, highlighting the research methodology and how these personas informed design decisions and operational improvements.

• Workshop Facilitation Evidence: Evidence of leading co-design or ideation workshops, potentially through process diagrams, key outputs, or a description of the facilitation approach and outcomes.

• Operational Integration Examples: Demonstrate how service design recommendations were translated into practical operational standards, processes, or training materials.

Process Documentation:

• Candidates should be prepared to discuss their approach to documenting service design processes, from initial research synthesis to final implementation guides.

• Highlight experience in creating clear, actionable documentation that facilitates handover to operational teams and ensures consistent delivery of the designed experience.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how to measure the effectiveness of implemented service designs and iterate based on performance data.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a leadership role focused on operationalizing design, the portfolio should emphasize not just the design artifacts but also the process of collaboration, stakeholder management, and the tangible impact on operational delivery and customer experience.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Given the 3-month contract nature, the location (Abu Dhabi), and the senior-level experience required (7+ years, Team Lead), a competitive daily or weekly rate is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for senior Service Design/CX consultants and Team Leads in the UAE for short-term contracts, the estimated range could be approximately AED 1,500 - AED 2,500 per day. This estimate accounts for the specialized skills, leadership responsibilities, and the project-based engagement. Benefits:

• Contract-Specific: As a 3-month contract role, standard long-term employee benefits (e.g., health insurance, paid time off, retirement contributions) may not apply or may be provided differently by the contracting agency or

Robusta.

• Potential Inclusions: Depending on the hiring arrangement, benefits could include:

  • Accommodation or housing allowance (especially if relocation is involved for the contract).

  • Travel allowance or business class flights if international travel is required.

  • Potential for visa sponsorship if not a local hire.

  • Access to company facilities and resources during the onsite period. Working Hours:

• Standard professional working hours are expected, likely 40 hours per week, with potential for overtime depending on project demands and deadlines. The role requires full-time onsite presence in Abu Dhabi for the duration of the contract.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on regional market data for similar contract roles and experience levels in Abu Dhabi. Benefits will likely be contract-specific and may differ from full-time employment packages. It is crucial for candidates to clarify all compensation and benefit details during the offer stage.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The company, Robusta, operates within the broader Energy and Mobility sectors, as indicated by the services to be redesigned (Fuel, EV Charging, LPG, Car Wash). This suggests a dynamic environment with a focus on customer-facing services and potentially evolving technologies like EV charging.

Company Size: Robusta appears to be a medium to large organization, evidenced by the need for structured teams and cross-functional collaboration across Operations, IT, Human Capital, and Quality & Training.

Founded: Information about the founding date of Robusta or Octopus by RTG is not provided, but the context suggests an established entity with existing operations seeking transformation.

Team Structure:

• The Service Design team will be small, led by this role, comprising a Service Design Specialist and an Analyst.

• This team will operate within a larger organizational structure, requiring close collaboration and reporting to various cross-functional departments.

• The structure implies a matrixed environment where the Service Designer Team Lead needs to influence and align with multiple business units and leadership levels. Methodology:

• The role emphasizes a persona-led journey design methodology, indicating a customer-centric approach to service improvement.

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the need to identify pain points, measure impact, and prioritize initiatives.

• Co-design and workshop facilitation are core methodologies for driving collaborative innovation and stakeholder buy-in.

Company Website: https://jobs.workable.com/company/uGNRDE2QgsGUtGKrRkBhB5/jobs-at-robusta and likely https://www.robustagroup.com/ (based on domain_derived).

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context highlights a transformation-focused initiative within a specific industry. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they adapt their service design approaches to the unique challenges and opportunities within the energy and mobility sectors.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a Senior Managerial/Lead level within the Service Design and Customer Experience domain. It requires not only deep expertise in design methodologies but also the ability to lead a team, manage stakeholders, and drive strategic operational changes.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer Team Lead will likely report to a Head of CX, Head of Digital Transformation, or a senior Operations leader. They will also work closely with functional leads across Operations, IT, and Human Capital.

Operations Impact: The role's primary impact is on enhancing customer satisfaction, improving operational efficiency through streamlined service delivery, and driving business outcomes by optimizing key customer journeys within the energy and mobility sectors. This directly influences revenue and brand perception.

Growth Opportunities:

• Project Leadership: Successful completion of this 3-month contract could lead to further project opportunities or even a permanent role if the transformation initiative extends.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Significant experience gained by working across diverse departments (Operations, IT, HR) within a large organization.

• Team Development: Opportunity to build and shape a Service Design team from its early stages, establishing best practices and a strong team culture.

• Industry Specialization: Deepening expertise in the specific challenges and customer needs within the energy and mobility sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a fixed-term contract, the leadership and strategic scope offer significant professional development and potential for future engagements or permanent positions, especially if the candidate demonstrates strong impact and cultural fit.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is strictly on-site in Abu Dhabi. This implies working within a professional office environment, likely a corporate headquarters or a dedicated project office.

Office Location(s): Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Candidates should consider commute times and local work culture.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The workspace will likely foster collaboration, with opportunities to interact daily with team members and stakeholders from various departments.

• Tool Access: Expect access to standard office technology, collaboration tools, and potentially specialized design software as required for the role.

• Team Interaction: Close proximity to the Service Design Specialist and Analyst, as well as regular engagement with project teams and senior leadership.

Work Schedule:

• The expectation is a full-time commitment, likely 40 hours per week, with flexibility potentially available but dependent on project deadlines and management discretion. The focus is on achieving project milestones within the 3-month timeframe.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement is critical. Candidates must be willing and able to relocate or be based in Abu Dhabi for the entire contract duration, implying a need for logistical planning and potentially visa arrangements.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of CV and portfolio to assess relevant experience, leadership capabilities, and specific service design skills.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deep dive into your experience leading transformation, team management, stakeholder engagement, and understanding of service design methodologies. Expect scenario-based questions.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present 1-2 key case studies from your portfolio, detailing your approach, challenges, solutions, and measurable impact. Be prepared to discuss your role as a Team Lead.

• Cross-functional Stakeholder Interview: Meeting with representatives from Operations, IT, or other key departments to assess your ability to collaborate and influence across functions. Cultural fit and communication style will be evaluated.

• Final Interview (Potentially): A discussion with a senior leader to confirm fit and discuss contract details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your strategic approach as a leader, the specific methodologies used, your team's contribution, the challenges faced, and most importantly, the quantifiable results and business impact.

• Highlight Leadership: Demonstrate your experience in building, mentoring, and leading a design team. Showcase how you delegated tasks, fostered collaboration, and drove team performance.

• Showcase Process: Detail your process for facilitating workshops, conducting research, and translating insights into actionable operational plans. Use visuals like journey maps and blueprints effectively.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that involved transforming customer experiences across physical and digital channels, ideally within customer-facing service industries.

• Be Prepared to Discuss: Have specific examples ready for how you managed difficult stakeholders, overcame resistance to change, and ensured the successful implementation of design recommendations.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for potential questions about how you would approach a specific service redesign challenge within the energy/mobility sector, given the information provided.

• Think about how you would structure your first 30-60-90 days on the job to quickly assess the current state, build relationships, and start driving impact.

• Practice articulating complex service design concepts clearly and concisely, suitable for diverse audiences including operational teams and senior management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only technical service design skills but also leadership, collaboration, and the ability to drive tangible operational change within a compressed timeframe. A well-curated and effectively presented portfolio is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Service Design & CX Software: Proficiency with tools for journey mapping, service blueprinting, persona creation, and user flow visualization (e.g., Miro, Mural, Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, specialized CX platforms).

• Collaboration Platforms: Experience with tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom for communication and remote/hybrid collaboration.

• Project Management Software: Familiarity with tools such as Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for managing project tasks, timelines, and workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Ability to interpret data from customer surveys, feedback forms, operational metrics, and potentially analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to inform design decisions.

• Reporting & Dashboard Tools: Experience creating clear reports and dashboards to communicate insights and track the impact of service design initiatives (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides, Tableau, Power BI).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Understanding of how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) store customer data and influence customer journeys.

• Workflow Automation Concepts: Familiarity with concepts of process automation and how service design can integrate with or drive automation initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role implies a need for proficiency in industry-standard design and collaboration software, as well as the ability to leverage data for informed decision-making and communicate findings effectively.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs as the primary driver for all service improvements.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working effectively across departments to achieve shared goals and ensure integrated customer experiences.

• Excellence & Quality: A drive for high standards in design, execution, and customer delivery, with a focus on continuous improvement.

• Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing insights from data and customer feedback to inform strategic decisions and measure impact.

• Efficiency & Impact: A focus on designing services that are not only user-friendly but also operationally efficient and deliver tangible business value.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Building strong working relationships with Operations, IT, and Human Capital teams to ensure designs are practical, implementable, and aligned with business objectives.

• Facilitative Leadership: Guiding discussions and decision-making through structured workshops and open communication.

• Feedback-Driven: Encouraging and acting upon feedback from stakeholders and frontline teams to refine designs and implementation plans.

• Transparent Communication: Maintaining open and honest communication regarding design progress, challenges, and recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a blend of customer advocacy and operational pragmatism. Candidates should demonstrate an understanding of how to balance user needs with business realities and drive change through collaboration.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Compressed Timeline: Delivering significant transformation within a 3-month contract requires rapid assessment, efficient decision-making, and focused execution.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Gaining buy-in and coordinating efforts across multiple departments with potentially competing priorities can be challenging.

• Translating Design to Operations: Ensuring that designed experiences are accurately and consistently implemented by frontline staff and integrated into existing systems and processes.

• Industry Specifics: Adapting service design methodologies to the unique operational complexities and customer expectations within the energy and mobility sectors.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Accelerated Impact: Gaining extensive experience in driving rapid change and delivering measurable results within a short timeframe.

• Broad Stakeholder Engagement: Developing advanced skills in managing relationships and influencing stakeholders at various levels and across different functions.

• Industry Insight: Deepening knowledge of the energy and mobility sectors, their operational nuances, and customer behaviors.

• Team Building: Opportunity to shape and grow a Service Design function, establishing foundational processes and team dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical of project-based roles, requiring adaptability, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to thrive under pressure. The growth opportunities are significant for candidates looking for impactful, short-term engagements.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach understanding and prioritizing service design initiatives for fuel stations and EV charging points within the first 30 days?"

• "Describe a time you had to gain buy-in for a significant customer experience change from a skeptical operations team. What was your strategy and the outcome?"

• "Imagine a scenario where customer feedback on a new service contradicts initial design assumptions. How would you lead your team to investigate and resolve this discrepancy?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Octopus by RTG and the energy/mobility sectors in the UAE?"

• "How do you foster a collaborative and innovative environment within a small, specialized design team?"

• "How do you ensure that service design recommendations align with business objectives and operational constraints?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem statement, your role and responsibilities as Team Lead, the methodologies employed, key decisions made, challenges overcome, and the quantifiable results achieved.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics whenever possible (e.g., increase in customer satisfaction scores, reduction in call handling time, improvement in conversion rates, operational cost savings).

• Showcase Leadership: Explicitly discuss how you led your team, managed stakeholders, and facilitated the process.

• Visual Aids: Use your journey maps, blueprints, and personas effectively to illustrate your points and demonstrate your process.

• Anticipate Questions: Be ready to answer detailed questions about your process, your team's contributions, and the specific challenges you faced.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, operational pragmatism, and the ability to deliver tangible results within a project context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most relevant service design transformation case studies that highlight your leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and ability to drive operational improvements. Ensure these clearly demonstrate your process and impact.

• Tailor Your CV: Highlight your experience in service design leadership, team management, stakeholder engagement, and any relevant industry experience (energy, mobility, customer-facing services). Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice delivering your portfolio presentation, focusing on clear storytelling, quantifiable results, and your role as a Team Lead. Be ready to discuss your approach to the specific services mentioned in the job description.

• Research the Company and Sector: Understand Robusta's position in the market and the current trends and challenges in the UAE's energy and mobility sectors. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.