Senior Service Designer
Department for Education
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 30th October 2024
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This post is eligible for a Digital, Data and Technology (DDT) capability based pay (CBP) allowance.
This is a discretionary non-consolidated, non-pensionable allowance which, if awarded, is attached to the post. The value of the allowance is based on the outcome of a capability assessment and is reviewed annually. Allowance values range up to £19,400, with the highest values reserved for candidates whose capability is above the expected level for all of the skills.
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About the job
Job summary
As a service designer you'll create and improve services so they work well for users and meet business goals. Your job is to look at the whole journey a user takes when using a service and make sure every part of that journey is designed to work smoothly.
Service designers work closely with different teams, including users, business analysts, developers, and other designers. You will use research and data to understand what users need, where things might be going wrong, and how to make services better.
You will often create maps of the user's journey to identify key points where improvements can be made.
A big part of the role is ensuring that services are accessible and inclusive, so they work for everyone, regardless of their abilities or circumstances.
As a service designer, you will combine creativity with practical problem-solving, working closely with others to improve services continuously.
If you are successful, you could be working on:
- Customer Experience and Design: As part of the team, you will be transforming the way government works for citizens and learners of all ages, as well as businesses and educators. We partner with teams across DfE to champion user needs, connect, improve and simplify services. If you join our friendly and ambitious multi-disciplinary agile team, you will work with analysts, product managers, designers, delivery managers and content specialists to directly deliver better outcomes for our users.
- Education Estates: Be part of our dynamic and friendly team, working to create safe, sustainable, and inspiring learning environments that support excellent educational outcomes for children and staff in schools. You’ll have the chance to work on impactful services like building new schools, providing funding, and designing services that focus on climate sustainability or help children connect with nature. If you’re passionate about making a difference and have a wide range of service design skills, we’d love to hear from you.
- National Careers Service: You will work across government to deliver the manifesto commitment to bring together Jobcentres and the NCS to provide a national jobs and careers service, focused on getting people into work and helping them get on at work. You will join a highly effective cross-Whitehall team to redesign and bring together two flagship government services, working to ensure the new service is user centric and delivers against priority government objectives.
Job description
As a senior service designer you will:
- Lead the interactive design of complex, user-centred services, adapting based on user feedback, data, and requirements.
- Utilise both qualitative and quantitative data to make informed design decisions, ensuring services meet the needs of users and align with department objectives.
- Collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, providing leadership and guidance to ensure shared goals and successful outcomes.
- Communicate complex design concepts to stakeholders at all levels, using storytelling, evidence, and design artifacts to influence decision-making and direction.
- Shape and implement service design strategies that contribute to long-term department objectives.
- Ensure services are accessible and inclusive, designed to meet the diverse needs of all users, and comply with government standards on accessibility and inclusivity.
Person specification
Essential criteria:
- Experience leading complex, user-centred design projects in government or the public sector, applying interactive design principles, and adapting based on user research and feedback.
- Ability to map complex services and user journeys to ensure clear, actionable insights.
- Expertise in analysing both qualitative and quantitative data to inform design decisions and interpret user behaviour.
- Strong experience in facilitating workshops, co-design sessions, managing stakeholder relationships across different levels and be able to articulate complex design concepts and through storytelling, evidence, and design artifacts.
- Experience ensuring designs are inclusive and meet or exceed accessibility standards.
Desirable Criteria:
- Experience applying advanced interactive methodologies such as Lean UX.
- Proficiency in advanced data analysis tools and techniques to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.
- Ability to mentor and coach other team members and designers, fostering a collaborative design culture within teams and across the organisation.
- Advanced expertise in inclusive design, with a track record of delivering services that meet the needs of diverse users, ensuring full compliance with accessibility standards.
Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.
Benefits
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Step 1: Application
At application you will be asked to provide your CV and a Statement of Suitability.
Your CV should include details of previous roles held and responsibilities / previous skills and experience.
Your statement of suitability (max 1250 words) should demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section above. Please adhere to the limit as anything over 1250 words will not be taken into account.
Your CV and statement will be assessed together against the listed essential criteria.
We expect to sift in week commencing 4 November 2024.
Step 2: Interview
Those successful at sift will be invited to attend an interview.
The interview will be one hour long and is made up of two parts.
Part 1 – 10 minutes - presentation
You will be asked to prepare and present a piece of service design work you have done and be prepared to answer some questions from the panel.
The presentation will be assessed against the essential criteria.
Part 2 – Questions
At interview we will ask questions to further assess your experience in relation to the listed essential criteria. You will get these questions the day before the interview.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Interviews will likely take place in the week commencing 18 November 2024 on MS Teams.
Once a provisional offer has been made, you will be invited to participate in a capability assessment to determine the value of the CBP allowance we can offer you. The assessment compares your skills against the Senior Service Designer role described in DfE’s local Service Design Capability Framework, which is based on the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.
Subject to your availability, we will aim to conduct the capability assessment and confirm the allowance offer to you within a week of the provisional offer being made.
This is a discretionary non-consolidated, non-pensionable allowance which, if awarded, is attached to the post. The value of the allowance is based on the outcome of a capability assessment and is reviewed annually. Allowance values range up to £19,400, with the highest values reserved for candidates whose capability is above the expected level for all of the skills.
Other Information
In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.
This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).
Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:
- name/title
- educational institutions
- age
- gender
- email address
- postal address
- phone number
- nationality/immigration status
We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.
We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.
The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs
Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.
Reasonable adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Resource Business Partners
- Email : resourcing.businesspartners@education.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : Centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk
Further information
