Service Design Lead

Ncounter Limited; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm based in Greater London seeks a Service Design Lead to support a vital Defence and Public Safety programme. The role demands a strong background in user research, creative problem solving, and end-to-end service design. You will guide multidisciplinary teams, shape service propositions, and drive insight-led decision-making. If you're a passionate user research leader looking to make an impact in high-profile government services, please share your CV for a confidential discussion.

Qualifications

• Strong background in user research and service design.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in a government context.
• Ability to translate research into actionable improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead user research planning and execution across services.
• Create service maps, user journeys, prototypes, and testing plans.
• Translate research insights into service improvements.
• Coach researchers and design teams, managing performance.
• Present design rationale and findings to senior leadership.

Skills

User research

Creative problem solving

Service design

Agile delivery

Job description

Contract Service Design Lead

DV Cleared Preferred

Ncounter are supporting a large-scale Defence and Public Safety programme seeking a Service Design Lead with a strong background in user research, creative problem solving and end to end service design. You will guide multidisciplinary teams to create services that are evidence driven, inclusive, and built around real user needs. This role blends hands on research leadership with strategic service design, ensuring clarity from discovery through to delivery.

You will shape propositions, map complex journeys, and drive insight led decision making across multiple workstreams. You will support and coach researchers and designers, raise capability standards, and ensure outputs meet recognised user centred design expectations across government.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead user research planning, method selection, fieldwork and synthesis across services
• Create and iterate service maps, user journeys, prototypes and testing plans
• Translate research into actionable service improvements grounded in measurable value
• Apply design thinking and creative exploration to solve complex policy and operational challenges
• Coordinate design and research activity across a wider programme ensuring consistency and clear delivery pathways
• Coach senior researchers and designers, manage performance and support career development
• Run workshops that drive alignment, validate ideas and unlock insight across technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Present design rationale and research findings to senior leadership and influence programme direction
• Maintain strong commercial awareness and shape service strategies that are viable and achievable

Desirable capability includes thought leadership in service design, experience working in full service digital agencies, and a confident understanding of Agile delivery.

If you are a User Research and Service Design Lead who can bring structure, creativity and clarity to high profile government services, Ncounter would like to hear from you. Please share your CV for a confidential discussion