Public Sector Service Design Lead (SC Cleared)

Sanderson Government and Defence; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanderson Government and Defence is seeking a Senior Service Designer to lead end-to-end service design across large-scale public sector programmes. You will own the design approach, outputs and outcomes, ensuring user-centred solutions aligned with client objectives.

You will mentor colleagues, contribute to capability growth, and support business development while working within multidisciplinary teams to deliver accessible, inclusive services in fast-paced environments.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience designing services and products.
• Proven experience leading service design workstreams across multiple projects or clients.
• Strong expertise in Government Digital Service (GDS) standards and principles.
• Experience tailoring service design methods and artefacts to client needs and maturity.
• Strong workshop facilitation and design sprint experience.
• Ability to simplify and solve complex problems in fast-paced environments.
• Excellent storytelling and communication skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience with agile, cross-functional teams including researchers, designers, analysts and developers.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work proactively under tight timescales.
• Experience engaging with legal, policy and other specialist teams to drive design decisions.
• Flexibility to contribute across wider service design disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end service design activities from ideation to solution development and testing.
• Define and tailor service design approaches and artefacts to client needs and maturity.
• Develop and oversee high-quality service design artefacts with impact and consistency.
• Apply GDS standards, accessibility and inclusive design for service assessments.
• Facilitate workshops, co-design sessions and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Communicate complex ideas through storytelling and visualisation.

Skills

Service design leadership

GDS standards

Workshop facilitation

Storytelling

Agile teams

Stakeholder management

Job description

Sanderson Government and Defence is seeking a Senior Service Designer to lead end-to-end service design across large-scale public sector programmes. You will own the design approach, outputs and outcomes, ensuring user-centred solutions aligned with client objectives.

You will mentor colleagues, contribute to capability growth, and support business development while working within multidisciplinary teams to deliver accessible, inclusive services in fast-paced environments.