Senior Service Designer

We’re looking for a personable, flexible problem-solver who enjoys working with others to make things happen. You’ll have a broad range of skills, including being a strong communicator; having the ability to think both critically and creatively about new and existing services; and the tenacity to see things through.

The Local Digital team at DLUHC supports councils across England to deliver the local public services of the future – services that meet the needs of citizens and deliver better value for money, based on modern technology and new, collaborative ways of working. We’re building upon the ambition of the Local Digital Declaration – our vision for the future of local public services that has been co-signed by over 200 local councils, sector bodies and Government departments.

We were voted Apolitical’s ‘Global Public Service Team of the Year 2019’ in the ‘New Ways of Working’ category for our innovative approach to incentivizing collaboration.

The Local Digital Cyber team are protecting local services, increasing the resilience of local authorities to cyber attack through technical support and guidance as well new initiatives like the a href=https://dluhcdigital.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/02/kicking-off-the-cyber-health-framework-alpha-phase/>cyber health framework to help councils understand where they need to be.

The impact of a significant cyber attack can be crippling and prevent councils from delivering essential services to their residents for weeks or months. Because of this, Cyber is a crucial part of the Local Digital team.

We have recently a href=https://dluhcdigital.blog.gov.uk/2022/03/22/exciting-next-steps-for-local-digital-and-cyber/>announced exciting next steps for the programme following the increase announced at Budget and Spending Review last year.

We’re looking for an experienced service designer who:

Is a confident and competent designer able to develop designs based on evidence of user needs and organisational outcomes

Can be trusted to make good decisions

Can recognise when to ask for further guidance and support

Will contribute to the development of design concepts

Is able to interpret evidence-based research and incorporate this into their work.

Agile working

You know about agile methodology and can apply an agile mindset to all aspects of your work. You can work in a fast-paced, evolving environment and use an iterative method and flexible approach to enable rapid delivery. You are unafraid to take risks, willing to learn from mistakes and appreciate the importance of agile project delivery for digital projects in government. You can ensure the team knows what each other is working on and how this relates to practical government objectives and user needs.

Communication skills

You can listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders, and interpret them in a way that is clear for both audiences. You know how to manage stakeholder expectations. You can be flexible and you are capable of proactive and reactive communication. You know how to facilitate difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders.

Community collaboration

You know how to work collaboratively within a group, actively networking with others and varying feedback for the appropriate time to ensure the discussion sticks. You can use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them. You can pull out issues through agile health-checks with the team to provoke the right responses. You ensure the team is transparent and that the work is understood externally.

Digital perspective

You are responsive to changes in technology, adapting your approach accordingly. You can make decisions to meet user needs in the government context. You understand the importance of assisted digital and can design services and make decisions to meet users needs.

Evidence- and context-based design

You can visualise, articulate and solve complex problems and concepts, and make disciplined decisions based on available information and research evidence. You know how to move from analysis to synthesis and/or design intent. Such skills include: demonstration of the ability to apply logical thinking, gathering and analysing information and evidencing key performance indicators (KPIs).

Experience of working within constraints

You understand and can work within given constraints (including but not limited to technology and policy, and regulatory, financial and legal constraints). You know how to challenge constraints that can be changed. You can ensure compliance against constraints by adapting products and services where needed.

Facilitating decisions and risks

You can make and guide effective decisions, explaining clearly how the decision has been reached. You have the ability to understand technical complexity and risks, run collaborative design activities, influence others and build consensus.

Leadership and guidance

You understand the sustainability and consequences of your decisions and can make decisions characterised by managed levels of risk and complexity. You can resolve technical disputes between wider peers and indirect stakeholders, taking into account all views and opinions.

Prototyping

You approach prototyping as a team activity, actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others. You can establish design patterns and iterate them. You can use a variety of methods of prototyping and choose the most appropriate ones.

Prototyping in code

You know how to talk to developers and know when to switch code. You understand security, accessibility and version control. You can use ‘what you see is what you get’ tools.

Strategic thinking

You can take an overall perspective on business issues, events, activities and discuss their wider implications and long-term impact. This could include determining patterns, standards, policies, roadmaps and vision statements. You know how to focus on outcomes rather than solutions and activities.

User focus

You understand users and can identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence. You know how to collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. You understand the difference between user needs and the desires of the user. You can translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs. You can engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users. You put users first and can manage competing priorities.