At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead service design projects to improve public services and resident experiences.
- Company: Join Southwark Council, a dynamic team focused on impactful transformation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a supportive work environment with opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace committed to positive community impact.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in people's lives through user-centred design.
- Qualifications: Experience in service design and strong communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 57036 - 69710 £ per year.
Do you enjoy turning insight into practical service improvements that make a real difference to people's lives? Can you use user-centred design to help reshape services, improve resident experiences and deliver better value for money? Does the opportunity to work on high-profile transformation programmes across one of London's largest councils excite you? If yes, we have the perfect role for you!
Southwark Council is delivering a major programme of change to improve outcomes for residents while ensuring services remain financially sustainable. The Change Team within Strategy & Communities leads a cross-council portfolio of transformation work focused on improving how services operate, redesigning processes and delivering savings. The team brings together programme management, delivery management, service design, business analysis and PMO capability to support services across the council to develop and implement change.
We are looking for a talented Service Design Lead to help make services simpler, more inclusive and more effective through hands-on, user-centred design. This is an exciting opportunity to shape how services are designed and delivered across the council, ensuring they meet resident needs while supporting organisational priorities and financial sustainability.
What You'll Be Doing
- Lead service design activity within transformation projects from discovery and research through to prototyping and implementation.
- Work closely with residents, frontline services and multidisciplinary teams to create evidence-based solutions that improve outcomes and deliver lasting change.
- Develop user journeys, service blueprints and prototypes to explore, communicate and test ideas.
- Facilitate workshops and co-design sessions with residents, frontline staff and partners.
- Work closely with Senior Service Design Leads, Delivery Leads, Business Analysts and operational teams to ensure solutions are practical, affordable and deliverable.
- Embed equality, accessibility and inclusion into service design, helping to reduce barriers for residents.
- Use evidence from testing, pilots and research to refine solutions and support continuous improvement.
- Contribute to the development of service design standards, templates and best practice across the Change Team.
What We're Looking For
- Experience leading or supporting service design projects within large or complex organisations.
- A strong understanding of user-centred design methods, including research, journey mapping, service blueprinting, prototyping and user testing.
- The ability to translate research, insight and data into practical improvements to services and processes.
- Strong facilitation and communication skills, with experience bringing people together to explore problems and develop solutions.
- Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and across a range of stakeholders.
- Experience using tools such as Miro, Figma or equivalent digital collaboration and prototyping platforms.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect resident experience with organisational processes and systems.
- A qualification in Service Design, UX, Human-Centred Design or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
- A commitment to designing inclusive services that improve resident experience and deliver better value for money.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Anna Trevena at Anna.Trevena@southwark.gov.uk.
Occasional evening and out-of-hours working may be required to meet service needs. Please note that we are unable to accept applications from individuals who require visa sponsorship.
At Southwark, our REACH values are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to being Resident-focused, Empowering, Accountable, Collaborative and Honest, in how we work with colleagues, residents, partners and communities. We welcome applications from people who share these values and are passionate about making a positive difference to our borough.
Service Design Lead in London employer: Southwark Council
Southwark Council is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture that prioritises employee development and collaboration. As a Legal Disrepair Specialist, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the community while benefiting from a range of professional growth opportunities and a commitment to work-life balance in a vibrant London location.
