Senior Service Designer (Ref: 23822) in Midlothian

This position is based nationally.

Job summary

We’re recruiting for Senior Service Designers here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative teams. This role aligns against Senior Service Designer from the Government Digital and Data Framework. You’ll be welcomed into a thriving design community and into multidisciplinary teams, alongside user researchers, product managers, software developers and others to deliver world-class, user-centred services. As well as doing great work, we’re creating a place that’s great to work in. We offer brilliant training opportunities, excellent kit and support from expert colleagues. On top of that, you’ll find flexible working, an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service, plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours, designed to support a positive work–life balance.
• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
• A £1,000 per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave.
• Maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks.

Key Responsibilities:

• Analyse and interpret user needs and business objectives in complex service areas.
• Develop design concepts and service blueprints that reimagine how services can be delivered end-to-end.
• Facilitate design workshops with users, delivery teams and senior stakeholders.
• Design and test digital prototypes at speed to explore ideas and reduce risk.
• Contribute to the Design Community of Practice and help grow design standards and best practice.

Person Specification

Essential

• Design communication: Clearly explain complex topics to non-design teams or stakeholders, document design decisions with risks and unresolved issues, and build consensus by questioning assumptions.
• Designing for everyone: Guide teams to create inclusive, accessible, and sustainable content or services that consider users' personal and social contexts, and ensure compliance with standards like accessibility regulations.
• Strategic design: Guide teams to see how user-centred design supports organisational goals, align work with the overall vision, and leverage risks, opportunities, and constraints to inform design.
• Designing together: Guide others on planning and conducting productive design sessions with teams, users, or stakeholders; adapt sessions for effective outcomes; involve relevant participants throughout the process; and collaborate across disciplines, such as with policy teams.
• Evidence-based design: Analyse and explain complex evidence for users or services, support your team's use of design hypotheses, and apply research to develop and test ideas.
• Iterative design: Assist designers in using iterative principles and agile methods. Refine complex designs through multiple research rounds, prototype advanced concepts independently, and adapt quickly to changing requirements or user needs.
• Leading design: Coordinate team design efforts, promote user-centred design, support designers, and collaborate with digital and data leaders as needed.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance.

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor. Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together.

How to Apply

In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience, Technical skills and Behaviours during the assessment process.

Stage 1 - Application and sift: To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application:

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications).
• A Personal Statement (no more than 500 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken.

A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Stage 2 - Interviews: Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams.

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.