Head of Service Design

As Head of Service design you will manage and lead teams through a full design process to deliver world-class services for local government; from user research to creating and testing new solutions using working prototypes, and working to deliver services at scale in complex and technical environments.

You will lead service design recruitment and the day-to-day management and development of a strong community of practice. With responsibility for team budgets you will make sure that all projects are delivered on time, budget and that design work is of the highest standards.

This role works closely with other digital leaders in the organisation. You will know when to challenge and when to listen, and be able to identify good ideas. Using your expertise you’ll support us to create a culture and working environment that supports creativity and embraces critical challenge to constantly improve our work in a digital workplace.

You will be a recognised digital leader for your profession, taking an active role in helping us deliver digital transformation.

As the Head of Service design you will:

• understand the web, technology and people.
• be a visible and recognised digital leader for the service design profession; defining processes and setting high standards to ensure services meets user needs and are efficient and sustainable to operate at scale.
• be a recognised specialist in user-centred design; experienced at working on all levels of a service, from high-level flows and journeys to the fine detail of individual parts (different types of content and user-led interactions across digital and non-digital channels).
• introduce new ways of working to teams. Demonstrably, helping shape design and implement how design works in the organisation.

• develop considerable influence across complex and technically challenging projects.

You will be responsible for:

• Promoting best practice in Service Design.
  
  
• Managing teams and resources so that projects can be planned, scheduled, and delivered on time and budget, with regular reporting.
  
  
• Managing designers across multiple projects, providing performance feedback and supporting learning and development goals. This means providing regular feedback and challenge, running design reviews, and identifying opportunities for improvements to services and products.
  
  
• Planning and allocating resources for teams and projects, hiring new talent and developing further training requirements when required.
  
  
• Planning, leading or supporting discussions at a senior management level. Working closely with other digital leaders, policy, legal and communications colleagues.

• Helping shape and maintain a positive and collaborative working environment that contributes to the digital culture of the organisation.
  
  

Skills and experience:

You should:

• have a design-related degree, with significant senior industry experience, supported by excellent project and change management skills.
  
  
• Have demonstrable experience of coaching and managing others. Also, influencing others through your performance in group settings.

• have demonstrable experience of working strategically on end to end services, demonstrating improved service outcomes as well as costed savings against implemented process improvements.
  
  
• have demonstrable experience of engaging multidisciplinary teams with a user-centred design process, including workshop planning and facilitation.
  
  
• have demonstrable experience of leading user research, sketching, prototyping, and iterative design. Explaining design decisions and communicating ideas in a way that other people understand
  
  
• Have demonstrable experience of handling constructive criticism, and constructively reviewing other people’s work to maintain high standards for design, and deliver improved service outcomes.
  
  
• have demonstrable experience and confidence in putting forward the case for design to senior stakeholders, influencing strategic decision making.

Ideally, you will also:

• have experience of working at pace in an agile environment.
  
  
• have experience of designing government services, delivering change in the public sector.