Service Design Lead in London

Service Design Lead in London

London Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead the design of customer journeys and enhance digital experiences with human-centred design.
  • Company: Join Nest, the UK's largest workplace pension scheme, committed to inclusivity and innovation.
  • Benefits: Flexible working options, generous training budget, and a supportive team environment.
  • Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with excellent career growth opportunities.
  • Why this job: Shape meaningful customer experiences and make a real impact in a dynamic team.
  • Qualifications: Experience in service design and a strong portfolio showcasing human-centred design methods.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.

We’re looking for a Service Design Lead to help shape and refine Nest’s end‑to‑end services and digital experience. You’ll apply human‑centred design and strategic thinking to bring clarity to complex journeys across multiple channels, ensuring they feel coherent, inclusive and grounded in real customer insight.

You’ll work closely with product, design, technology and proposition teams to embed evidence‑based design and customer‑led thinking into how we define, design and deliver solutions. If you’re motivated by meaningful purpose, passionate about human‑centred design, and skilled at bringing clarity to complexity and shaping future‑focused CX and services, we’d love to hear from you. Don’t worry if you think you don’t have all the key skills—it might be worth taking the few minutes to apply as we’re good at spotting potential and offer a generous training budget.

Deliverables
  • Analyse, define and improve end‑to‑end customer journeys based on customer and business insights.
  • Develop and lead the service design strategy to identify opportunities for service improvement and innovation.
  • Produce and own end‑to‑end journeys, service blueprints and user flows across our public website and member portal for as‑is and to‑be state.
  • Ensure product development and service creation is in line with our design principles and service vision.
  • Collaborate with cross‑functional teams in Product, Research, Design, Tech, Marketing and Proposition to deliver joined‑up, customer‑centric solutions that address real user needs.
  • Design and facilitate workshops to align stakeholders, develop ideas and concepts, and influence decisions.
  • Create storyboards and prototypes to communicate design concepts and end‑to‑end service solutions.
  • Create performance metrics and dashboards that demonstrate service impact and service effectiveness.
  • Build continuous improvement plans and recommendations based on design audits & service evaluations.
  • Support the wider design team in developing better processes and elevating design maturity.
Qualifications
  • Significant experience leading and delivering service design and product design, preferably within a regulated business or design agency/consultancy supporting a regulated business.
  • Strong understanding of end‑to‑end service design and use of relevant tools and best practices (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD, Miro).
  • Familiarity with customer service platforms (e.g., CRM systems and operational platforms).
  • Understanding of multi‑channel service delivery and omnichannel customer experience.
  • A portfolio of work that demonstrates the application of HCD methods that drive measurable outcomes.
  • Knowledge of accessibility, inclusive design and design standards, and examples of applying this to your work.
Flexible and Agile Working
  • Hybrid of office (Canary Wharf, London) and home working (there will be an expectation to attend the office, once – twice a week, or more, as required).
  • Reduce or vary working hours.
  • Reduce or vary the days worked.
  • Work compressed hours.
  • Job share.
Directorate/Department Overview

The Customer Experience team creates user‑focused experiences by combining product ownership, design thinking, and business insight. We’re responsible for shaping the experience across all customer groups—members, employer providers, and distribution partners—through various channels. We prioritise delivering value through continuous feedback from customers and colleagues. Prototypes and mock‑ups help us test ideas and refine experiences, while data guides our decisions and solution design.

Product owners lead teams in our B2B and B2C domains, prioritising features and owning the product roadmap. Our service design team focuses on end‑to‑end journeys and service interaction contributing to a cohesive experience. UX & UI designers turn insights into accessible, user‑friendly interfaces. Business analysts define requirements and identify opportunities to improve. We focus on delivering meaningful, easy‑to‑use experiences for our members, employers, and partners—driven by a product‑led mindset.

Customer Experience sits among a wider Customer team consisting of Propositions (B2B & B2C) and Brand and Marketing where it is our role to bring our propositions and brand to life in our customer experience delivery. Alongside our internal teams we have a strategic delivery partner that provides our scheme administration services. This means the transactional engine, digital interfaces, back‑office processing and our customer contact support centre, as well as both collecting contributions and paying out benefits to our customers.

We have three teams within the Customer Experience team split across two product teams and a service design team. The product teams own the development of products and services in two key domains; our member (B2C) and employer & third‑party “connectors” (e.g., accounting, payroll providers) through a B2B channel. Our service design team supports both product teams with design, and evolution of our service design and driving our continuous evolution of our experience design.

Organisational Overview

Nest is an award‑winning workplace pension scheme, the largest in the country. Set up by the government to give every worker in the UK somewhere to save, our first‑class responsible investment practice and governance are the backbone of what we do, supported by all the functions you’d expect to find in a thriving business. We’re committed to creating a workplace where you can be your authentic self and offer an inclusive and flexible working environment.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of their age, disability, gender identity, marital status, national origin, pregnancy or caring responsibilities, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation or socio‑economic background. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought and other forms of neurocognitive variation.

Nest is a Disability Confident Leader, which is the highest level of the Disability Confident Scheme. If you have a disability, please declare that you’re applying through the scheme. We aim to offer an interview to those applicants who apply through the Disability Confident Scheme and best meet the minimum criteria. However, there may be some circumstances where this is not possible due to the volume of applications.

Please note that this advert may close early if we receive a sufficient number of satisfactory applications. If you have any difficulty in sending your application or need the application pack in an alternative format, or you require any reasonable adjustments please contact:

Service Design Lead in London employer: Nest Pensions

Nest is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee growth and development. With a commitment to flexible working arrangements and a generous training budget, employees are empowered to thrive in their roles while contributing to meaningful projects that shape the future of customer experience. Located in Canary Wharf, London, Nest provides a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives are valued, making it an ideal place for those passionate about human-centred design and innovation.

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Contact Details:

Nest Pensions Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Service Design Lead in London

Show Off Your Portfolio

In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.

Get Involved in Design Communities

Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.

Tailor Your Applications

When you find a role that excites you, like the one at Nest Pensions for a Service Design Lead, make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!

Leverage Social Media

Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like Nest Pensions before they go live!

We think you need these skills to ace Service Design Lead in London

Human-Centred Design (HCD)
Service Design Strategy
End-to-End Customer Journey Analysis
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Workshop Facilitation
Prototyping (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD, Miro)
Performance Metrics Creation

Some tips for your application 🫡

Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Service Design Lead at Nest Pensions, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!

Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work Nest Pensions does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to Nest Pensions. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.

Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at Nest Pensions.

How to prepare for a job interview at Nest Pensions

Show Off Your Portfolio

When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with Nest Pensions, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.

Prepare for Design Challenges

Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. Nest Pensions might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!

Know the Tools of the Trade

Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at Nest Pensions!

Show Passion for User Experience

In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what Nest Pensions is looking for.