Service Designer (GDS/UCD) - Public Sector

Introduction

In this role, you'll work in one of our IBM Consulting Client Innovation Centres (Delivery Centres), where we deliver deep technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients around the world. Our delivery centers offer our clients locally based skills and technical expertise to drive innovation and adoption of new technology.

A career in IBM CIC is rooted by long-term relationships and close collaboration with clients across the globe.

You'll work with visionaries across multiple industries to improve the hybrid cloud and AI journey for the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Your ability to accelerate impact and make meaningful change for your clients is enabled by our strategic partner ecosystem and our robust technology platforms across the IBM portfolio; including Software and Red Hat.

Curiosity and a constant quest for knowledge serve as the foundation to success in IBM Consulting. In your role, you'll be encouraged to challenge the norm, investigate ideas outside of your role, and come up with creative solutions resulting in ground breaking impact for a wide network of clients. Our culture of evolution and empathy centers on long-term career growth and development opportunities in an environment that embraces your unique skills and experience.

In this role, you'll work in one of our IBM Consulting Client Innovation Centers (Delivery Centers), where we deliver deep technical and industry expertise to a wide range of public and private sector clients around the world. Our delivery centers offer our clients locally based skills and technical expertise to drive innovation and adoption of new technology.

Your role and responsibilities

IBM is seeking an experienced Service Designer with a robust background in Government Digital Service (GDS) and User-Centered Design (UCD) principles to join our team supporting a public sector client. The successful candidate will contribute to transformative digital transformation projects, ensuring they align with GDS standards and prioritize user needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Designing concept journeys, blueprints, and roadmaps that communicate how the total user experience can be elevated beyond the immediate product or service.
• Facilitating the collective understanding of the end-to-end, front-to-back experience by mapping the orchestration of events at the intersection of technology, business and design.
• Shaping how behind-the-scenes processes and support functions interact with each other and how these impact the design process.
• Embedding design practices within organizations to create a sustainable approach to service the needs of the user.
• Working with User Researchers to generate insights through research with users, staff and stakeholders to shape a holistic view of the total user experience.
• Analysing, consolidating, and communicating research findings to stakeholders in order to strategically frame, validate and quantify the problem being solved and help inform the wider strategic roadmap of initiatives.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in service design within a government or public sector context, with strong expertise in GDS and UCD. A collaborative mindset, excellent communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously are essential for this role.

As an equal opportunities' employer, we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. However, for you to be eligible for this role, you must have the valid right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we do not offer visa sponsorship and have no future plans to do so. You must be a resident in the UK and have been living continuously in the UK for the last 10 years. You must be able to hold or gain a UK government security clearance.

Required education

None

Preferred education

Bachelor's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• Service Design: Lead the design of complex digital services and experiences, focusing on meeting public sector needs in an efficient, effective, and user-friendly manner. This includes creating service blueprints, user journeys, and other design artifacts.
• GDS Compliance: Ensure all designs adhere to GDS guidelines, including the Service Manual and Digital Principles. This involves maintaining an understanding of current GDS strategies and updates.
• User-Centered Design (UCD): Employ UCD methodologies throughout the design process, conducting user research, usability testing, and iterating on designs based on user feedback.
• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including developers, product managers, and stakeholders from the public sector client, to ensure successful implementation of design solutions.
• Training and Mentoring: Share knowledge and best practices in service design, GDS, and UCD with both internal teams and external stakeholders, contributing to the wider digital transformation efforts of the public sector client.
• Project Delivery: Play a pivotal role in the delivery of digital projects, from initial concept through to launch and beyond, ensuring that the end result meets the needs of users and complies with GDS standards.

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Proven experience in service design within a government or public sector context.
• Proficiency in using design tools such as Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, or similar.
• Experience with prototyping tools like InVision, Marvel, or Proto.io.
• Knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies and experience working within an Agile environment.
• Familiarity with GDS Service Manual, Digital Principles, and other relevant guidelines.
• Certifications in UCD, such as the International Interaction Design Foundation's Interaction Design or UX Design Specialization, are highly desirable but not mandatory.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Consulting is IBM's consulting and global professional services business, with market leading capabilities in business and technology transformation. With deep expertise in many industries, we offer strategy, experience, technology, and operations services to many of the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Our people are focused on accelerating our clients' businesses through the power of collaboration. We believe in the power of technology responsibly used to help people, partners and the planet.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM wants you to bring your whole self to work and for you this might mean the ability to work flexibly. If you are interested in a flexible working pattern, please talk to our recruitment team to find out if this is possible in the current working environment.

Client-provided location(s): Cheltenham, United Kingdom

Job ID: IBM-56764

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2025-09-05T18:52:10