Lead Service Designer

About the work

Who the specialist will work with 

We're building a team of around 70 experts in Web Development, Design and User Research. This is a brilliant opportunity to be part of a growing team from its nascent stage and play an active and continued role in the strategic development of both the team and the studio approaches. Immediate team: Service design team of a Technical Architect, User Researcher and Service Manager (Sheffield). Wider Service Area team: Service design team working across up to 3 Product Delivery Teams (Sheffield). Community of designers and Head of User Experience (Sheffield), plus wider MOJ design community and cross-government design community.

What the specialist will work on

The Digital Studio is planned to deliver, over the next 5 years, modern and mobile technology products quickly, responsively and flexibly. Our aim is to reduce re-offending by introducing products that reduce violence, self-harm and improve employability and offender-family relationships. This role includes - 1. Leading Service Mapping of the Prison and Probation Service to build a picture of the system and identify the actors, opportunities and scope for service improvements 2. Lead Discovery work to inform the development of new products to reduce re-offending 3. Lead on the development of Service Design and User Experience practices across the programme

Work setup

Address where the work will take place Furnace Hill, Sheffield & St James' Park, London

Working arrangements 

The role includes travel across the UK to conduct research in prisons and probation offices. When not engaged in off-site research, you will be working on-site in Sheffield and London, with at least 2-3 days per week based in Sheffield, so as to have face to face engagement with the rest of the team. There is a £5,000 limit on travel expenses. Expenses will only be covered for research trips/meetings outside of Sheffield. Travel between Sheffield and the Supplier's location is not covered.

Security clearance Basic Clearance is required.

Skills and experience

Essential skills and experience 

• 7+ years experience as a practicing designer
• In-depth understanding of user-centred design principles and tools
• A deep understanding and experience of visual design, interaction design, content design, and service design.
• Confident sketching and prototype on paper and in HTML
• Confident writing user-centric interfaces
• Lead a workshop
• Know how the internet works: confident in understanding the capabilities of independent web applications in delivering a cohesive service
• Worked extensively with user researcher and know how to interpret user research into actions
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Demonstrable 5+ years experience working effectively with cross-disciplinary teams (with Research, Design, Software, Content and Product team members)
• Demonstrable 5+ years experience ensuring that appropriate user research and strategic level design thinking is intrinsic to making design decisions
• Demonstrable 5+ years experience planning and building digital products
• Proven experience of stakeholder management, with strong negotiation skills at very senior levels
• Experience leading (defining scope, approach and carrying out delivery of) end to end service transformation work, using user-centred, agile approaches

Nice-to-have skills and experience 

• Previous experience of leading mixed teams of designers and researchers

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.