Senior Service Designer

We're looking for a strategic, systems-minded Service Designer to join our growing design capability. You’ll work at the heart of multidisciplinary teams to shape end-to-end services that are accessible, efficient, and centred around real user needs. Service Designers at Version 1 work across the full-service lifecycle, from discovery through to live. You’ll lead the mapping of current and future states, align digital delivery with policy and operational realities, and design and deliver services that improve people’s lives. You’ll collaborate closely with content designers, interaction designers, product managers, user researchers, business analysts and technical leads. You’ll help shape service visions, facilitate workshops, and define the structures, processes and journeys that underpin great services.

We are a 15+ strong Service Design community within the Transformation Design Group (TDG), part of Version 1’s Digital, Data and Cloud capability. TDG tackles complex, systemic challenges – using research, evidence and data-driven insight to break them down and shape solutions that work for real users. For example, our work includes designing and delivering services that enable prisoners to receive more tailored support; applying a system lens to reduce the cost of hiring teachers across schools; and coaching teams to embed user-centred practices within some of the world’s most prestigious organisations. We embed user-centred design principles in how we work, leading with empathy and curiosity. Our teams are built on trust, psychological safety and a shared sense of purpose, underpinned by a strong no-blame culture. We value diversity of background, identity, experience and thought – creating an environment where people do their best work and deliver better outcomes.

Qualifications

Who You Are: You’re passionate about designing inclusive, sustainable services – grounded in evidence and shaped by real user and organisational needs. You bring people together, make the complex simple, and synthesise diverse perspectives into clear, actionable direction. More specifically, you are:

• Comfortable with ambiguity – you help teams find direction when the path isn’t obvious.
• An insight-driven influencer – you seek out insight, communicate it confidently, and use strong stories to align people and shift direction when needed.
• Strategic – you think beyond the immediate problem to design services that are scalable and built to last.
• Inclusive by default – you champion accessibility and inclusion intuitively.
• Commercially aware – you understand how service design delivery relates to commercial realities like contract scope, budget appetites, and future opportunities.
• A clear communicator – you communicate complex ideas simply, adapting to different audiences and contexts.
• Evidence-led – you use research and insight to inform decisions and stand behind them.
• A system thinker – you understand how services operate end-to-end, recognising the interplay between people, processes, policy, data and technology to design solutions that work in the real world.
• Emotionally intelligent – you navigate stakeholder dynamics and handle difficult conversations constructively.
• Experienced – you have a strong track record of leading end-to-end service design, from shaping the problem through to delivering measurable impact.
• A multiplier – you enable teams to move forward, and you make everyone around you better.
• A mentor – you foster a learning culture and actively support the growth and development of those around you.
• A wave-maker – you challenge thinking across the organisation, redefine best practice, and continually push for better ways of working.

How You Operate

You work collaboratively and pragmatically to turn vision into reality. You bring teams together, guide them through structured thinking, and use the methods to deliver high-quality, user-centred outcomes. Here’s what that looks like day to day:

• Set and align around a clear service vision – bring teams and stakeholders together behind a shared direction.
• Facilitate with purpose – plan and run workshops that drive alignment, clarity, and decisions.
• Work as one team with clients – co-create solutions and build trusted, respectful partnerships.
• Collaborate across disciplines – work within agile, multidisciplinary teams to deliver iteratively.
• Make complexity visible – use service blueprints, journey maps and other artefacts to bring clarity, tailored to your audience.
• Use data to guide decisions – interpret performance data to inform design and measure success.
• Shape and secure work – turn client needs into high-value opportunities and develop strong propositions.
• Set others up for success – equip your team and our Service Designers with the structure, guidance and frameworks needed to deliver effectively.
• Drive progress – take ownership and ensure momentum, including turning around teams when needed.
• Deliver with integrity – do the right thing, including having difficult conversations when needed, so we can proudly stand behind our work.

When working with our clients, expectations are often aligned to SFIA and DDaT frameworks. Experience working in these environments is desirable, but not essential.

Additional Information

At Version 1, we believe in providing our employees with a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises their well-being, professional growth and financial stability. One of our standout advantages is the ability to work with a hybrid schedule along with business travel, allowing our employees to strike a balance between work and life. We also offer a range of tech-related benefits, including an innovative Tech Scheme to help keep our team members up-to-date with the latest technology. We prioritise the health and safety of our employees, providing private medical and life insurance coverage, as well as free eye tests and contributions towards glasses. Our team members can also stay ahead of the curve with incentivised certifications and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle and Red Hat. Our employee-designed Profit Share scheme divides a portion of our company’s profits each quarter amongst employees. We are dedicated to helping our employees reach their full potential, offering Pathways Career Development Quarterly, a programme designed to support professional growth.