Lead Service Designer

Government Recruitment Service; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department is seeking a Lead Service Designer to drive the design of services that improve user experiences. You will shape services by aligning user needs with policy and strategy, managing collaboration across teams, and mentoring design talent. This leadership role emphasizes user-centered design and requires experience in engaging stakeholders at a high level. If you are passionate about making a difference with design, we encourage you to apply.

Qualifications

• Experience in leading service design and aligning user needs with strategy.
• Proven ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders.
• Passion for mentoring and building design capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead service design aligning user needs with policy and strategy.
• Facilitate departmental collaboration to enhance user journeys.
• Produce high-quality design outputs like journey maps and user flows.
• Analyze data to identify pain points and propose improvements.
• Mentor designers and contribute to team recruitment.

Skills

Collaborative facilitation

User-centered design

Stakeholder engagement

Prototyping

Data analysis

Job description

Are you passionate about designing services that support millions across the UK?

Interested in driving some of the country’s most significant transformational changes?

If so, this could be the role for you!

At DWP Digital & Transformation, we offer meaningful careers for those who want to use their skills to improve lives. As part of the UK’s largest government department, we deliver vital services, support and payments to people at key moments.

We’re looking for a Lead Service Designer to help shape the future of DWP services. You’ll work with design teams and stakeholders to explore problems, test ideas and deliver better outcomes for users.

We’re seeking confident facilitators who can unite teams, provide clarity, and foster collaboration. Experience of working with policy and strategy teams is especially valuable.

You’ll join a supportive community of user-centred design professionals, committed to accessibility and excellence. As a Lead Service Designer, you’ll also mentor others and help grow our service design capability.

As a Lead Service Designer, you’ll shape the future of DWP services by aligning emerging policy and business strategy with user needs, evolving services to better support millions of users.

You’ll champion collaboration across digital, policy, legal and other teams, ensuring services are designed with people at the heart.

You’ll be a confident facilitator and expert practitioner, advocating for user-centred design and driving improvements that deliver real outcomes.

What you’ll do:

• Lead service design, aligning user needs with policy, service and product strategy.
• Facilitate collaboration across departments to define and deliver effective user journeys.
• Engage senior stakeholders and influence decision-making at departmental level.
• Produce high-quality design outputs including journey maps, experience maps, service blueprints and user flows.
• Analyse research and data to identify pain points and improvement opportunities.
• Use prototyping to test ideas and communicate concepts with users.
• Promote best practice and build a strong, open design culture across the Department.
• Mentor designers and support capability building within the service design community.
• Contribute to recruitment and development of the DWP Digital design team.

This is a leadership role where you’ll set direction, guide teams and help embed service design across the organisation. If you’re passionate about designing services that truly meet people’s needs, we’d love to hear from you.