Lead Service Designer – Guardian Jobs

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The Resources and Business Improvement directorate is led by Dianne Tranmer. It is responsible for: People Function, Facilities Management, Digital Experience Unit and Technology Group, Information Governance, Executive Support Team and leadership of all our shared services across the GLA Group.

About The Team
The UCD team brings together specialisms including digital engagement, service design, user research, business analysis, content and interaction design and performance analysis. These specialisms work in harmony with a shared mission to make all products and services as inclusive, accessible and user-centric as possible.

About The Role
This is a leadership role within the User Centred Design team, in the GLA’s Digital Experience Unit. You’ll lead the DEU’s Service Design team, setting the direction, guiding teams and championing the role of service design across the organisation, ensuring users can complete their goals and that our digital services support the delivery of GLA policy intent. You’ll work with policy teams, stakeholders and other user centred design and digital colleagues to explore problems, test ideas and deliver better outcomes for users. This may involve the creation of, or changes to, internal and external processes, services, products and content across both digital and offline channels, within the GLA or GLA group. You will be working through the entire design and delivery process, from framing problems, understanding, and visualising the service landscapes for teams, improving and reimagining end-to-end services, visualising processes, services and products and supporting their implementation.

What Your Day Will Look Like

• You will be leading and inspiring a talented Service Design team, working with the Head of UCD, senior managers and other team leads to set the direction of service design within the GLA.
• You will be line-managing and mentoring the Service Designer, User Researcher, and other team members — supporting their professional development and aligning their OKRs with UCD priorities.
• You will be working with other colleagues in the UCD team and wider DEU, in a collaborative way, planning project activity in a way that uses the resource we have efficiently and allows for transparency and collaboration across teams.
• You will be working on multiple, high-profile projects, working collaboratively with colleagues to design and iterate services to support user needs and embedding inclusive, accessible, and environmentally sustainable design.
• You will be using research and evidence to shape service design decisions, ensuring user needs and organisational goals are aligned.
• You will be developing high-quality service design artefacts — such as journey maps, service blueprints, and prototypes — to communicate design intent and test ideas.

Skills, Knowledge And Experience
To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• Proven experience leading service design in complex organisations, ideally in government or large-scale digital transformation. Can show evidence of using design systems to solve challenges across multiple services and can identify the simplest approach out of a variety of approaches, backed by evidence.
• The skills to mentor and coach teams in adopting and refining iterative processes, ensuring a consistent focus on user needs and outcomes across all stages of design.
• The ability to set the standard for iterative design practices, guiding teams through complex projects from initial concept to final implementation.
• The capability to lead the strategic use of data in service design, integrating insights from a wide range of sources to drive innovation and effectiveness.
• The expertise to provide guidance on best practices for inclusive design, ensuring that all services meet or exceed legal, ethical, and user needs.
• The commitment to contribute to the development of policies and practices that embed accessibility and inclusive design into the organisation's culture and processes.

Behavioural Competencies

Strategic thinking – using an understanding of the bigger picture to uncover potential challenges and opportunities for the long term and turning these into a compelling vision for action.

• Translates GLA vision and strategy into practical and tangible plans for own team or delivery partners
• Consistently takes account of the wider implications of team’s actions for the GLA
• Encourages self and others to think about organisation’s long term potential
• Informs strategy development by identifying gaps in current delivery or evidence
• Takes account of a wide range of public and partner needs to inform team’s work

Managing and Developing Performance – guiding, motivating and developing others to achieve high performance.

• Motivates and inspires others to perform to their best, recognising and valuing their work and encouraging them to learn and reflect
• Sets clear direction and expectations and enables others to interpret competing priorities
• Agrees and monitors challenging, achievable performance objectives in line with GLA priorities
• Manages performance issues effectively to avoid adverse impact on team morale and performance
• Promotes a positive team culture that respects diversity and deals with barriers to inclusion

Planning and Organising – thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.

• Exchanges ideas and knowledge with partners, subject-matter experts, and senior stakeholders to foster new research agendas and derive insights for the GLA
• Takes accountability for the quality of intelligence that research and new policy are based upon
• Encourages new and innovative insights from analysis
• Evaluates the feasibility and cost effectiveness of research proposals
• Stringently assessing whether the research will add real value
• Encourages research with a highly practical focus and maximum impact for Londoners

Stakeholder focus – understanding the needs of those affected and shaping work accordingly.

• Understands diverse stakeholder needs and tailors team deliverables accordingly
• Is a role model to others, encouraging them to think of Londoners first
• Manages stakeholder expectations, so they are high but realistic
• Removes barriers to understanding the needs of diverse stakeholders
• Focuses own and team’s efforts on delivering a quality and committed service

Decision making – forming sound, evidence-based judgments, assessing risks to delivery, and taking accountability for results.

• Makes sound decisions quickly on behalf of the GLA when a situation requires intervention
• Takes responsibility for team decisions, providing rationale when those decisions are questioned
• Involves senior stakeholders early in decisions that impact them
• Analyses organisational risks associated with decisions, including long-term impacts
• Encourages others in the team to make decisions in their area of expertise

Research and analysis – gathering intelligence from varied sources, testing validity and drawing actionable conclusions.

• Expands networks to gain new information sources for research and policy development
• Identifies and implements methods to ensure intelligence is of a high quality
• Encourages others to analyse data from different angles
• Tailors research investment in line with likely impact for Londoners and policy priorities
• Retains a bigger picture view, ensuring research recommendations are appropriate and practical

Additional information – This role is based at London Fire Brigade’s Head Office (Union Street SE1 0LL).

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

• Up to date CV
• Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words addressing how you demonstrate the essential criteria

Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement have a maximum file size of 1.5MB each and upload your Personal Statement to the CV and Cover Letters section of the form.

Word or PDF format preferred. Do not include photographs or images. Save files with the job reference number in the naming convention.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and will accommodate adjustments during the process. For questions about the role contact the hiring manager and recruitment teams as specified in the description.

Benefits – GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in offices and remotely. Benefits include 30 days’ annual leave, season ticket loan, bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

Equality, diversity and inclusion – We welcome applications from everyone and particularly encourage underrepresented groups. We are Disability Confident and will provide adjustments as required.

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level | Employment type: Full-time | Job function: Design, Art/Creative, IT | Industries: Advertising Services

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