Lead Service Designer

Service Design Jobs; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

MBTA is recruiting a Lead Service Designer to provide structure for a multi-variable program, maintaining a coherent program-level view across product workstreams, operations, policy, and frontline experience. You will map dependencies and create frameworks, helping partners move toward outcomes.

The role involves developing service blueprints and journey maps, facilitating workshops, and translating research into actionable plans while ensuring regulatory compliance and customer-centric

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Six years of relevant professional experience in service design, UX design, UX research, human-centered design, or a related field, including experience leading service design for complex, technology-enabled services that integrate customer experiences, operational workflows, policy or business rules, and multiple delivery teams.
• Experience planning and conducting service design activities (e.g., stakeholder engagement, service blueprinting, journey mapping, systems mapping, workshops, or research) and translating findings into program, service, or product decisions.
• Experience working on cross-functional teams with product, engineering, operations, policy, business, or other stakeholder partners.
• Working knowledge of service design methods, systems thinking, accessibility standards, and inclusive design practices.
• Experience developing strategic artifacts, frameworks, or recommendations that support organizational planning, prioritization, or decision-making.
• As part of the selection process, candidates will be asked to complete and pass job-related technical assessments, which may include presenting a service design case study and/or a timed whiteboarding exercise.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain service blueprints, journey maps, capability maps, and other strategic artifacts that create a shared understanding of complex services across product, operations, policy, and frontline teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and collaborative working sessions that build alignment around service goals, customer needs, operational constraints, priorities, and future direction.
• Partner with program leadership, product teams, operational stakeholders, and policy partners to define future-state service visions and translate them into actionable plans and priorities.
• Identify risks, dependencies, gaps, and competing priorities across product, operational, policy, and organizational workstreams, and communicate recommendations that support informed decision‑making.
• Synthesize research, operational insights, stakeholder input, and service performance data into clear frameworks and recommendations that guide program strategy and service improvements.
• Ensure product delivery, operational processes, policy changes, and organizational readiness remain aligned to achieve intended customer, business, and program outcomes.
• Develop models, documentation, and planning artifacts that improve program clarity, support prioritization, and enable teams to navigate complex, evolving service environments.
• Provide subject matter expertise through design critiques, mentorship, and collaboration, contributing to service design practices and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Protect data security, privacy, accessibility, and regulatory compliance by following MBTA policies, standards, and industry best practices throughout research, design, documentation, and service delivery.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Skills

Service design

UX design

UX research

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Systems thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Job Summary

The Lead Service Designer works to provide structure and clarity across a complex, multi-variable program environment. This role maintains a coherent program-level view across product workstreams, operational realities, policy constraints, and frontline experience, identifying and mapping dependencies and helping the program stay oriented toward outcomes. This role creates the frameworks, maps, and shared understanding that allow diverse partners to move together effectively.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain service blueprints, journey maps, capability maps, and other strategic artifacts that create a shared understanding of complex services across product, operations, policy, and frontline teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and collaborative working sessions that build alignment around service goals, customer needs, operational constraints, priorities, and future direction.
• Partner with program leadership, product teams, operational stakeholders, and policy partners to define future-state service visions and translate them into actionable plans and priorities.
• Identify risks, dependencies, gaps, and competing priorities across product, operational, policy, and organizational workstreams, and communicate recommendations that support informed decision‑making.
• Synthesize research, operational insights, stakeholder input, and service performance data into clear frameworks and recommendations that guide program strategy and service improvements.
• Ensure product delivery, operational processes, policy changes, and organizational readiness remain aligned to achieve intended customer, business, and program outcomes.
• Develop models, documentation, and planning artifacts that improve program clarity, support prioritization, and enable teams to navigate complex, evolving service environments.
• Provide subject matter expertise through design critiques, mentorship, and collaboration, contributing to service design practices and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Protect data security, privacy, accessibility, and regulatory compliance by following MBTA policies, standards, and industry best practices throughout research, design, documentation, and service delivery.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions.

Supervision

• No direct reports.

Minimum Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Six (6) years of relevant professional experience in service design, UX design, UX research, human-centered design, or a related field, including experience leading service design efforts for complex, technology-enabled services that integrate customer experiences, operational workflows, policy or business rules, and multiple delivery teams.
• Experience planning and conducting service design activities (e.g., stakeholder engagement, service blueprinting, journey mapping, systems mapping, workshops, or research) and translating findings into program, service, or product decisions.
• Experience working on cross‑functional teams with product, engineering, operations, policy, business, or other stakeholder partners.
• Working knowledge of service design methods, systems thinking, accessibility standards, and inclusive design practices.
• Experience developing strategic artifacts, frameworks, or recommendations that support organizational planning, prioritization, or decision‑making.
• As part of the selection process, candidates will be asked to complete and pass job‑related technical assessments, which may include presenting a service design case study and/or a timed whiteboarding exercise.

Substitutions

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate’s degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• Experience in public‑sector, transportation, mobility, or civic technology, including knowledge of transit operations or mobility systems.
• Experience designing products or services that involve complex workflows, operational processes, data flows, policies, or business rules. Experience conducting research with diverse populations, including older adults, people with disabilities, non‑English speakers.
• Experience using qualitative research, analytics, operational data, or performance metrics to inform design decisions.
• Experience mentoring or coaching other designers or providing design guidance to cross‑functional teams.

Job Conditions:

• Ability to effectively read, comprehend, communicate, and respond to instructions, orders, signs, notices, inquiries, etc. in English.
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age, except if participating in an approved high school internship / co‑op program.
• Ability to commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, MA metro area, as required by the role.
• Ability to provide internal and external customers with courteous and professional experiences.
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and as part of a diverse workforce team (or supervise, if required).
• Ability to uphold the rights and interests of the MBTA while building and maintaining effective relationships with employees and co‑workers.
• Ability to adhere to rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable), and policies of the MBTA, including the EEO, anti‑discrimination, anti‑harassment, and anti‑retaliation policies.
• Have a satisfactory work record for the two (2) years immediately prior to the closing date of this posting (unless if current student or recent graduate), including overall employment, job performance, discipline, and safety records (infractions and/or offenses occurring after the closing of the posting and before the filling of a vacancy may preclude a candidate from consideration for selection).
• Ability to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, comprehensive background screening, and / or medical Clinic screening, potentially including physical examination and drug and alcohol screenings.
• Ability to work all shifts and / or locations assigned, directed, or necessary for this position, including (for some transit / operations roles) up to twenty‑four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week as necessary to accommodate severe weather conditions, emergencies, or any other circumstances that may potentially impact service or the safety of service.
• Intern / co‑op staff must be enrolled full or part‑time in an accredited educational program and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 for the entire duration of the internship / co‑op. Additionally, interns / co‑ops must have valid work authorization and U.S. Social Security Numberprior to starting pre‑employment screenings / pre‑boarding, working in their positions, and throughout the duration of their program.