Service Design Lead

The opportunity

• Are you an experienced Service Design Lead with experience working within Universities or the Public Sector?
• Are you looking for an opportunity to make a transformative impact to the experience of both staff and students across this group of diverse, creative institutions?
• Are you able to engage with stakeholders at all levels, working collaborative to build a vision and services fit for the future?

We are seeking an exceptional Service Design Lead to shape and drive innovative, user-centred solutions that will define the future of this leading London university's operational and student experience.

As the Service Design Lead, you will form part of a designated Programme team, spearheading the redesign of professional and academic services, working closely with senior leaders, students, and staff across this iconic university. Your role will be critical in delivering a unified, student-centred, and sustainable operating model that supports world-class education, ensures organisational resilience, and fosters inclusivity and creativity.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Strategic Change, this role will be responsible for;

• Working with Senior Leaders across the organisations to strategically lead on their service design as part of an ambitious wider-organisational change programme, aligning service innovations with the university's priorities.
• Conduct institution-wide user research to amplify voices, identify user-needs and redesign processes and people around these.
• Co-design and implement Target Operating Models that drive measurable improvements in operational efficiency and user experience across areas such as student support, professional services, and academic research.
• Champion innovative methodologies like design thinking and service blueprinting to embed user-focused design at all levels.
• Build high-trust relationships with diverse stakeholders, encouraging collaboration and influencing and inspiring alignment across functions.

About you

The successful candidate in this role will benefit from having;

• Extensive experience in service design and organisational transformation, with a proven ability to deliver complex cross-institutional change.
• Expertise in target operating model and organisational design principles, with a track record of delivering efficient and sustainable service models.
• Outstanding communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives for executive leadership and operational teams.
• Passion for equity, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring that designs meet the needs of a diverse community.
• Resilience and adaptability to navigate ambiguity, build trust quickly, and drive change in a collaborative yet challenging environment.
• Previous experience within the University or Public Sector.

This is not just a role - it's a chance to redefine how a leading London university operates. You'll need to navigate complexity, inspire change, and embrace the challenges that come with transformation, ensuring meaningful and lasting impact for students, staff, and stakeholders alike. If you thrive on collaboration, innovation, and delivering strategic service design in dynamic environments, this is your moment to step up and lead an extraordinary journey of change.

What we offer

To recognise the hard work of our staff and their contributions, we provide a wide range of benefits – please check our careers site/Canvas for further information as conditions and exclusions apply:

▪ 34 days of annual leave and 2 days off to volunteer plus bank holidays
▪ Flexible and Dynamic working options available from the first day
▪ Discounted Medical Insurance including Digital GP service, therapies, in-patient and day-case treatment
▪ Free counselling and advice via our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
▪ Sector-leading Equal Parental Leave policy (6 months full pay for both parents) 
▪ Defined-benefit LGPS pension scheme
▪ In-house training and development including apprenticeships and free places on creative courses
▪ Interest free loans on travel and tech, discounts on gym memberships, nursery fees, eye care and much more
▪ Various opportunities to attend student shows and exhibitions