Senior Service Designer

GDS Local is a specialist unit within the Service Transformation Directorate, working at the point where central government platforms, local services and sector reform meet. We help councils and government partners create the conditions for better, more joined-up public services by unlocking usable data, accelerating adoption of common components, shaping a more open technology market and building stronger routes for collaboration.

Our work is focused on four connected objectives:

1. Creating a shared vision for local government technology, data and the market so councils can make better digital and procurement decisions
2. Unlocking usable, shareable data so councils and delivery partners can support people earlier, faster and more effectively
3. Making it easier to adopt common products and platforms such as GOV.UK App and One Login, while reducing the risk and cost of reuse
4. Building the conditions for collaboration across councils, sector bodies and central government so change can scale across the whole system

Our mission is ambitious and practical: to help make public services simpler, more responsive and more connected for local authority residents, especially those with complex needs. By improving how councils buy technology, share data, adopt trusted platforms and work with government, we are helping create easier lives for residents, better value for money across local government and greater public trust in digital services.

You will design end-to-end service journeys that cut across organisational boundaries and channels. In GDS Local, that means shaping how national platforms, local service delivery and market conditions combine into services that work in practice for residents and practitioners, and how GDS Local delivers for our users.

As a Senior Service Designer you’ll:

• lead service design work for GDS Local, designing how our offer delivers for GDS and local authority users across one or more priority initiatives (products adoption, market reform, or data innovation)
• map end to end journeys, service blueprints and ecosystems, identifying friction, duplication and opportunities for reuse
• facilitate multidisciplinary teams, working with policy, technology, data, commercial and delivery colleagues, helping teams make clear, testable design decisions
• work with user research and analytics to translate insight into service improvements and strategic recommendations
• develop artefacts and narratives that support decision making by senior stakeholders across central and local government
• support the team to embed good practice and inclusive, accessible design

We’re interested in people who can demonstrate:

• experience designing, supporting other designers, and improving end-to-end services across multiple organisations or complex stakeholder environments
• strong practice in delivering whole-of service design, including service mapping, identifying and creating new design patterns and components, highlighting pain points and opportunities for improvement
• significant ability to use qualitative and quantitative data to develop and test design ideas, inform decisions and improve services across the product lifecycle from discovery to live
• ability to clearly communicate complex design concepts and decisions to senior stakeholders and non-design audiences
• experience facilitating workshops and co design with practitioners, including in politically sensitive or high scrutiny contexts, and the ability to adapt design sessions to ensure you to align diverse perspectives and drive shared outcomes
• experience designing accessible and inclusive services, ensuring your design work meets appropriate accessibility and sustainability standards and advising team members on best practice