Lead Service Designer

83zero; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Bonus scheme

Benefits

Job summary

83zero in Manchester is seeking an experienced Lead Service Designer to shape digital customer experiences. This senior role blends strategic leadership with hands-on service design, guiding multidisciplinary teams through complex transformation programmes across the UK.

You will mentor designers, influence senior stakeholders, and drive research, prototyping, testing and delivery. The role requires strong facilitation, proposal shaping, and a track record of delivering end‑to‑end service design

Qualifications

• Proven end-to-end service design leadership.
• Experience leading complex transformation programmes in the UK.
• Experience in agile or hybrid delivery environments.
• Strong facilitation and workshop skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex service and product design programmes end-to-end.
• Define service strategies, future-state experiences and architectures.
• Lead research, prototyping, testing and delivery.
• Facilitate design sprints, workshops and co-creation sessions.
• Create service blueprints, journeys and propositions.
• Influence senior stakeholders and guide complex decisions.
• Mentor and develop designers, building a high-performing practice.
• Contribute to proposals, client shaping and new business opportunities.
• Help evolve design standards and AI-enabled service approaches.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Service blueprinting

Journey mapping

Facilitation

Team leadership

UX design

Tools

Figma

Miro

Job description

Lead Service Designer – Digital Customer Experience

Location: Manchester | Hybrid – 3 days per week on-site

Salary: £90,000–£100,000 + 5–10% bonus + benefits | Permanent

Lead the design of services that shape the future.

We’re looking for an experienced Lead Service Designer to join a growing Digital Customer Experience practice and lead complex transformation programmes across the UK.

This is a high-impact role combining strategic leadership with hands-on design. You’ll lead multidisciplinary teams, influence senior stakeholders and turn complex challenges into human-centred, scalable and AI-ready services.

What you’ll do

• Lead complex service and product design programmes end-to-end
• Define service strategies, future-state experiences and architectures
• Lead research, prototyping, testing and delivery
• Facilitate design sprints, workshops and co-creation sessions
• Create service blueprints, journeys and propositions
• Influence senior stakeholders and guide complex decisions
• Mentor and develop designers, helping build a high-performing design practice
• Contribute to proposals, client shaping and new business opportunities
• Help evolve design standards, methodologies and approaches to AI-enabled services

What we’re looking for

You’ll be a confident, strategic design leader with:

• Proven experience leading end-to-end service design, through to pilot and live operation
• Strong experience influencing senior stakeholders in complex or regulated environments
• Expertise in service blueprinting, journey mapping, systems mapping and proposition development
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary teams
• Excellent facilitation and workshop skills
• The ability to bridge design and delivery in agile or hybrid environments
• Strong commercial awareness and the confidence to challenge constructively
• Experience with GDS Service Standard, accessibility, regulated industries or AI-enabled services would be highly desirable

Why this role?

You’ll have the opportunity to shape major digital and organisational transformations, work alongside talented design and technology specialists, and play a key role in developing a growing Experience Design practice.

If you’re ready to lead from the front, influence at senior level and create services that genuinely make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Eligibility for SC level security clearance is required, with additional eligibility checks where applicable.