Service Designer SFIA 5

Senior Service Designer (SFIA Level 5)

Location: Remote (with occasional ad hoc travel)

Rate: £540 per day inside IR35
Contract Length: Initial 4-month discovery phase, with transition to long-term engagement via rolling 6-month SOWs
Clearance: BPSS required
Equipment: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Role Purpose

We are looking for an experienced Senior Service Designer to lead the design of end-to-end services across complex HMRC programmes.

You will ensure that services are user-centred, efficient, and aligned to policy and operational requirements, while shaping service strategy across multiple teams. This role requires translating user and business needs into cohesive, scalable service designs.

Core Responsibilities

End-to-End Service Design
Design, map, and optimise end-to-end service journeys across multiple channels and touchpoints
Produce key service design artefacts, including:
User journeys
Service blueprints
Ecosystem maps
Ensure alignment between front-stage user experience and back-office processes
Identify pain points, gaps, and opportunities across the service landscape

Service Strategy & Direction
Define and influence service vision, design principles, and direction
Ensure services are aligned with:
User needs
Business objectives
Policy and operational constraints
Work across programmes to ensure consistency, coherence, and scalability of services

User-Centred Design Leadership
Champion GDS and User-Centred Design (UCD) principles across teams
Leverage user research insights to:
Inform design decisions
Drive service improvements
Collaborate closely with:
User Researchers
Product Managers
Designers

Stakeholder Engagement & Alignment
Engage effectively with:
Senior stakeholders
Delivery teams
Policy and operational stakeholders
Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions to:
Align on service vision, priorities, and outcomes
Communicate complex service concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

Cross-Team Coordination
Work across multiple Agile teams to ensure joined-up service delivery
Identify and manage:
Dependencies
Gaps or overlaps between services
Drive consistency across products, platforms, and services within the wider programme

Continuous Improvement & Insight
Use data and insight to:
Identify service issues and improvement opportunities
Evaluate service performance and user outcomes
Support teams in iterating and continuously improving services
Promote a culture of evidence-based design and ongoing optimisation

Key Skills & Experience

Essential

Proven experience operating at SFIA Level 5 (Senior Service Designer)
Strong track record of designing complex, end-to-end services within large organisations
Advanced knowledge of service design methodologies and artefacts, including:
Journey mapping
Service blueprints
Ecosystem mapping
Deep understanding of user-centred design (UCD) principles and practices
Excellent stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills
Strong communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex concepts
Ability to influence at both team and programme level
Experience working within Agile, multidisciplinary teams
Comfortable operating across multiple teams and programmes simultaneously
Strong collaboration skills across design, product, delivery, and policy functions