Lead Service Designer

CO-OP; Manchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent UK cooperative in Manchester is seeking a Lead Service Designer for a 12-month fixed-term contract. You will lead the strategic design of services, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility, and work collaboratively with product teams. Ideal candidates should have experience in service design within agile environments, strong mentoring skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly. Attractive benefits include holiday allowances, a pension plan, and training support.

Benefits

28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service)

Pension with up to 10% employer contributions

Access to a subsidised onsite gym

30% discount on Co-op products

Early access to pay through Wagestream

Virtual healthcare services

24/7 colleague support service

Training and support for career progression

Cycle-to-work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience as a Service Designer in agile, multi-disciplinary environments.
• A track record of mentoring and coaching other designers.
• Experience using measurement frameworks to assess service impact.
• The ability to use research to understand user behavior and motivations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic and continuous improvement of services.
• Collaborate with user researchers and design colleagues.
• Create service journey and process maps.
• Adopt a data-informed approach to service design.
• Prioritize accessibility in every design decision.

Skills

Service Design

Mentoring

User Research

Communication

Accessibility

Collaboration

Job description

We're looking for a Lead Service Designer to join our Digital technology & data team on a 12-month fixed-term contract in Manchester. In this role, you'll play a key part in creating services that provide value to our members, working closely with our product teams to make sense of complex systems.

Why this role matters: At Co-op, we're creating digital products and services that make a real difference to our members, customers, and communities. As a Lead Service Designer, you'll shape how our services work end-to-end, making sure they're inclusive and accessible. Your work will help us build fairer, more effective experiences that provide genuine value for our users.

What you'll do:

• Lead the strategic and continuous improvement of services used by our customer, colleagues, and members
• Collaborate with user researchers and other design colleagues to research, design, and test the end-to-end service experience
• Create service journey and process maps to visualise and improve user flows
• Adopt a data-informed approach to service design, and encourage others to do the same
• Prioritise accessibility in every design decision
• Collaborate with colleagues across the wider business to improve our ways of working and build a thriving service design community at Co-op

Requirements:

• Experience as a Service Designer in agile, multi-disciplinary environments
• A track record of mentoring and coaching other designers
• Experience using measurement frameworks to assess service impact
• The ability to use research to understand user behaviour and motivations
• Good communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex information (e.g., insights)
• Good relationship-building and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and challenge people inclusively

What we offer:

• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Wagestream - early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme