Systemic Change Lead

Dartington Service Design Lab; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

38 days annual leave (including bank)

Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Co-working budget

Job summary

Dartington Service Design Lab is seeking a Systemic Change Lead to shape and deliver a portfolio of participatory research, co-design and evaluation projects across the UK.

You will work with young people, communities and system leaders, applying systems thinking and complexity-informed methods with independence and strategic intent.

We welcome diverse lived experience and offer flexible, remote working across the four nations, 28–35 hours per week and a permanent contract.

Job description

Location:Working remotely from home across the four nations of the UK, occasionally co-working spaces, with occasional travel

Start date:As soon as possible (Winter 2026/27)

Benefits:

• 38 days (FTE) annual leave (including bank holidays) so that leave can be taken when you wish, not necessarily on the fixed bank holiday days / Christian calendar.
• Pension Scheme.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Access to co-working budget.

Hours of work:Full-time or part-time (1 FTE or 0.8 FTE) worked flexibly around business needs (28 to 35 hours per week)

Contract type:Permanent contract

Do you feel passionate about supporting a charity who are reshaping the systems that support children and young people across the UK? Do you want to lead a varied portfolio of participatory research, co-design and evaluation projects, and set the direction for how we apply systems thinking and complexity-informed approaches across that work?

Dartington Service Design Lab is a national charity that harnesses experience, cutting edge evidence and design to tackle the challenges children and young people face today, securing thriving futures for tomorrow. As we move forward with our refreshed strategy, we are looking for a new Systemic Change Leadto join our dynamic team.

The Systemic Change Lead plays a crucial role in our work at Dartington. They manage their own portfolio of projects from design through to delivery, working directly with clients, young people, community partners and system leaders.

This role would suit someone who has already applied systems and complexity-informed methods in research and design practice, is comfortable holding several projects at once, and works with a high degree of independence and autonomy.

As an organisation committed to anti-racism, equity and inclusion, we are actively working to diversify the perspectives, practice and experiences that we bring to our work.

We know that people from many backgrounds, including those underrepresented in research and design, may discount themselves if they don't meet every desirable criterion on the list. Please don’t! If you are excited about this role and believe you could do it well, we’d love to hear from you.We welcome applications from people with a broad range of lived and learnt experiences, and we are committed to a recruitment process that is fair and inclusive.

This is a real opportunity to do meaningful work as part of a close-knit team dedicated to creating the conditions for all children and young people to thrive. If that resonates with you,