Lead Service Designer 

About the role

With the role internally known as the Lead Service Designer, we are looking to add another member of staff into our Service Design and Digital Adoption (SDDA) team within Transformation Services.

The SDDA team are responsible for designing and helping improve a wide range of services, looking for opportunities to utilise digital capabilities across council and partner services.

Reporting directly to the head of service, you will work alongside other SDDA team members including another lead service designer and a senior service designer, as well as the business analysis team who lead on the analysis and benefits work for the organisation.

This is a unique opportunity to lead in the design and evolution of our services and drive best practice approaches, looking for innovative approaches that can be applied to multiple services across the council. You will help create service blueprints based on the corporate operating vision, working closely with various stakeholders, including employees, customers, and third parties, as well as NYC’s centralised support teams such as legal, property, procurement, technology, and HR.

About the SDDA team

As part of a multi-disciplinary team, we’re changing how the council manages their digital products for the better. Recent projects the team have delivered include:

·       Digital council services – these include online services such as highway fault reporting, Blue Badge applications, and waste and parking permits. We have also implemented a comprehensive ‘Contact Us’ solution and developed a location checker to help direct users to area-specific web content.

·       Household support fund – delivering a digital process that allows eligible residents to apply for financial support quickly and easily.

·       Self-service IT portal – an online platform that allows staff to find answers to their questions and resolve issues independently, without needing to contact a support agent.

·       Chatbot – an interactive tool that allows users to get answers to their questions and resolve issues through automated conversations, without needing to contact a support agent.

·       Robotic Process Automation (RPA) – a technology that automates repetitive tasks and processes, enhancing user experience by reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.

About you

We are looking for a passionate and experienced individual to join our team as a Lead Service Designer. You should have a deep understanding of service design principles, practices, and methods, gained through formal education, professional training, or hands-on experience. You may have come from a background in service management or Business analysis discipline with experience in designing and delivering service changes, or managing service design projects in large organizations.

The successful candidate will:

· Be educated to degree level (Level 5) or equivalent experience.

· Have evidence of ongoing commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).

· Have significant experience in leading the design of complex and interdependent services, ensuring alignment with user needs and organizational objectives.

· Possess a strong background in stakeholder engagement, with the ability to build positive relationships and influence senior leaders to adopt user-centred design principles.

· Have experience in coaching and mentoring team members, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

· Be skilled in utilizing a range of service design tools and techniques, such as user journeys, prototyping, and user research.

· Have a good understanding of local authority policies, procedures, and relevant legislation relating to service operation.

· Be knowledgeable about UX analysis techniques, including user stories, customer journey mapping, personas, and service blueprints.

· Have experience working to Government Digital Service Standards.