Job Description

Senior Service Designer (SFIA Level 5)

Location: Remote (with occasional ad hoc travel)

Rate: £540 per day inside IR35

Contract Length: Initial 4-month discovery phase, with transition to long-term engagement via rolling 6-month SOWs

Clearance: BPSS required

Equipment: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Role Purpose

We are looking for an experienced Senior Service Designer to lead the design of end-to-end services across complex HMRC programmes.

You will ensure that services are user-centred, efficient, and aligned to policy and operational requirements, while shaping service strategy across multiple teams. This role requires translating user and business needs into cohesive, scalable service designs.

Core Responsibilities

End-to-End Service Design

Design, map, and optimise end-to-end service journeys across multiple channels and touchpoints

Produce key service design artefacts, including:

User journeys

Service blueprints

Ecosystem maps

Ensure alignment between front-stage user experience and back-office processes

Identify pain points, gaps, and opportunities across the service landscape

Service Strategy & Direction

Define and influence service vision, design principles, and direction

Ensure services are aligned with:

User needs

Business objectives

Policy and operational constraints

Work across programmes to ensure consistency, coherence, and scalability of services

User-Centred Design Leadership

Champion GDS and User-Centred Design (UCD) principles across teams

Leverage user research insights to:

Inform design decisions

Drive service improvements

Collaborate closely with:

User Researchers

Product Managers

Designers

Stakeholder Engagement & Alignment

Engage effectively with:

Senior stakeholders

Delivery teams

Policy and operational stakeholders

Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions to:

Align on service vision, priorities, and outcomes

Communicate complex service concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

Cross-Team Coordination

Work across multiple Agile teams to ensure joined-up service delivery

Identify and manage:

Dependencies

Gaps or overlaps between services

Drive consistency across products, platforms, and services within the wider programme

Continuous Improvement & Insight

Use data and insight to:

Identify service issues and improvement opportunities

Evaluate service performance and user outcomes

Support teams in iterating and continuously improving services

Promote a culture of evidence-based design and ongoing optimisation

Key Skills & Experience

Essential

Proven experience operating at SFIA Level 5 (Senior Service Designer)

Strong track record of designing complex, end-to-end services within large organisations

Advanced knowledge of service design methodologies and artefacts, including:

Journey mapping

Service blueprints

Ecosystem mapping

Deep understanding of user-centred design (UCD) principles and practices

Excellent stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills

Strong communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex concepts

Ability to influence at both team and programme level

Experience working within Agile, multidisciplinary teams

Comfortable operating across multiple teams and programmes simultaneously

Strong collaboration skills across design, product, delivery, and policy functions