Lead Service Designer

Lead Service Designer - Digital Customer Experience Manchester | Hybrid - 3 days per week on-site £90,000-£100,000 + 5-10% bonus + benefits | Permanent 🚀 Lead the design of services that shape the future. We're looking for an experienced Lead Service Designer to join a growing Digital Customer Experience practice and lead complex transformation programmes across the UK. This is a high-impact role combining strategic leadership with hands-on design. You'll lead multidisciplinary teams, influence senior stakeholders and turn complex challenges into human-centred, scalable and AI-ready services. What you'll do * Lead complex service and product design programmes end-to-end * Define service strategies, future-state experiences and architectures * Lead research, prototyping, testing and delivery * Facilitate design sprints, workshops and co-creation sessions * Create service blueprints, journeys and propositions * Influence senior stakeholders and guide complex decisions * Mentor and develop designers, helping build a high-performing design practice * Contribute to proposals, client shaping and new business opportunities * Help evolve design standards, methodologies and approaches to AI-enabled services What we're looking for You'll be a confident, strategic design leader with: * Proven experience leading end-to-end service design, through to pilot and live operation * Strong experience influencing senior stakeholders in complex or regulated environments * Expertise in service blueprinting, journey mapping, systems mapping and proposition development * Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary teams * Excellent facilitation and workshop skills * The ability to bridge design and delivery in agile or hybrid environments * Strong commercial awareness and the confidence to challenge constructively Experience with GDS Service Standard, accessibility, regulated industries or AI-enabled services would be highly desirable. 🌟 Why this role? You'll have the opportunity to shape major digital and organisational transformations, work alongside talented design and technology specialists, and play a key role in developing a growing Experience Design practice. If you're ready to lead from the front, influence at senior level and create services that genuinely make a difference, we'd love to hear from you. 🔐 Eligibility for SC level security clearance is required, with additional eligibility checks where applicable. Apply now