LGR Service Designer

Suffolk County Council; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

Suffolk County Council, based in Ipswich, is recruiting a Service Designer to shape the future of local government in Suffolk through the LGR programme. You will lead service design thinking across the programme, shaping services, operating models and ways of working with communities, residents and partners.

This permanent, full-time post offers hybrid working, 37 hours per week, and a salary of £74,716 to £84,404 per year. Closing date: 8 September 2026.

Qualifications

• Strong experience of service design and user-centred design, ideally within public sector or another complex service environment.
• Experience leading complex transformation across organisational boundaries and delivering sustainable outcomes.
• A strong understanding of public service delivery, improvement and systems thinking.
• An innovative and curious approach, with the confidence to challenge traditional ways of working.
• Excellent facilitation, engagement and influencing skills, bringing together different perspectives, priorities and organisations to create practical solutions.
• The confidence to work effectively in ambiguity.
• A clear commitment to using LGR to create services that better meet the needs of Suffolk's residents, communities and partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead service design thinking and activity across the programme.
• Shape future operating models, service delivery approaches and organisational design options.
• Bring together key stakeholders to inform future design decisions.
• Use insight and evidence to identify opportunities for improvement and public service reform.
• Develop practical design options and recommendations for decision-makers.
• Challenge traditional thinking and encourage new approaches that maximise the opportunities of LGR.
• Help create sustainable services that meet the needs of Suffolk's residents now and in the future.

Skills

Service design

User-centred design

Transformation leadership

Public sector

Systems thinking

Facilitation

Stakeholder engagement

Ambiguity tolerance

Job description

• Future Suffolk / Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, IP1 2BX, Hybrid working
• Salary: £74,716 - £84,404 per annum
• Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available
• Contract: Permanent

Suffolk's councils are working together on one of the most ambitious change programmes the county has ever seen. Through Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), we're creating three new unitary councils and building the foundations for the future of local services across Suffolk.

We're looking for talented people to join our programme team and play a key role in making that happen.

As our Service Designer, you'll help shape what local government in Suffolk looks like in the future. You'll lead service design thinking and activity across the LGR Programme, helping design future services, operating models and ways of working around the needs of communities, service users and partners. Working across multiple organisations and stakeholder groups, you'll bring together different perspectives to help shape the future of local government across Suffolk.

Your role and responsibilities

You'll lead service design thinking and activity across the programme, bringing together key stakeholders and subject matter experts to help shape services that meet the needs of Suffolk's residents now and in the future. Using insight, evidence and design thinking, you'll develop future design options that support better outcomes for communities and public services across Suffolk.

• Lead service design thinking and activity across the programme.
• Shape future operating models, service delivery approaches and organisational design options.
• Bring together key stakeholders to inform future design decisions.
• Use insight and evidence to identify opportunities for improvement and public service reform.
• Develop practical design options and recommendations for decision-makers.
• Challenge traditional thinking and encourage new approaches that maximise the opportunities of LGR.
• Help create sustainable services that meet the needs of Suffolk's residents now and in the future.

You will need

We're looking for a strategic and innovative professional who can lead user-centred service design and complex transformation, creating effective and sustainable outcomes for Suffolk's communities.

We hope you'll bring:

• Strong experience of service design and user-centred design, ideally within public sector or another complex service environment.
• Experience leading complex transformation across organisational boundaries and delivering sustainable outcomes.
• A strong understanding of public service delivery, improvement and systems thinking.
• An innovative and curious approach, with the confidence to challenge traditional ways of working.
• Excellent facilitation, engagement and influencing skills, bringing together different perspectives, priorities and organisations to create practical solutions.
• The confidence to work effectively in ambiguity.
• A clear commitment to using LGR to create services that better meet the needs of Suffolk's residents, communities and partners.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (JPP), which you can find in the How to apply' section towards the bottom of this advert.

The team

Although hosted by Suffolk County Council, this is a genuinely system-wide role working across the full LGR system, bringing together multiple councils, disciplines and partners behind a single shared objective. The team act on behalf of all Suffolk councils and are accountable to the Future Suffolk Implementation Board.

You'll join a newly established programme team, united by a shared commitment to delivering change that protects services for residents and creates strong, sustainable new councils.

For more information on LGR in Suffolk, please visit the Three Councils for Suffolk and the Future Suffolk websites.

Applications from Suffolk's five councils

Colleagues currently working for one of Suffolk's five councils are encouraged to apply. Where possible, appointments will be made on a secondment basis, allowing you to retain your substantive role.

Empowering Everyone

We're big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We're always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report .

For more information

Please contact Lysanne Eddy, Programme Director for LGR, for a casual conversation. You can reach them by emailing [e-mail] .

Closing date: 11.30pm, 8 September 2026

Provisional interview week: Week commencing 14 September 2026 (subject to change).

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid #FutureSuffolk