Service Designer

About the job

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC.

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

At HMRC, we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve. We want to maximise the potential of everyone who works for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make an exciting career at HMRC accessible to you.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we encourage applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

Job description

HMRC is looking for a Service Designer who is passionate about User Centred Design to support the work of our Policy Lab team. HMRC Policy Lab puts users at the heart of policy design, helping to bridge the gap between policy and digital delivery.

HMRC's services are complex, you need to enjoy tricky problems and thinking about how services and policies will interact. With complex services we have a complex user base - millions of people have to use these services, which means a range of different needs and outcomes.

We want people who are curious about who will use a service, how they will interact with it and how something can be improved, testing those improvements through their design work.

Alongside working on a policy or service problem you'll be a member of a developing service design community; the community provides a safe space to test out design ideas and offer support to other service designers to attain the best possible outcomes.

If this sounds like the sort of thing which excites you, this is the job for you. Watch this video, where we talk about what HMRC does and then how the work we do helps create better services.

Webinar

HMRC are hosting an information session on 6th October between 12pm-1pm to accompany the application process where you will be able to hear more about the vacancy . You'll also be able to find out more about HMRC from the people who currently work in the role, including:

• Who we are
• What we do
• Why we do it

There will also be the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the role or the application process.

To join the session, you will need to register by completing the following link - Candidate Information Session - Service Designer - Tuesday 6 - Fill in form

Person specification

As a service designer you will:

• Provide service design expertise across complex services and policies to help shape policy decisions.
• Develop an understanding of policy intent and design user-centred services that meet user needs and fulfil business outcomes.
• Use and promote best practice and standards to design inclusive services consistent with the rest of government and HMRC.
• Analyse pain points and failure points within services and create recommendations to address any issues identified.
• Map current service journeys and design service blueprints for new and/or improved services.
• Effectively communicate complex information and ideas using sketches, scenarios, diagrams, maps, prototypes, and written narratives for multiple audiences.
• Build collaborative relationships within teams and with stakeholders across different teams and the organisation.
• Effectively use facilitation skills with teams and stakeholders to build a shared understanding of problems to be solved and work through challenges.

You will also be expected to:

• Actively participate in the service design community within HMRC by helping to facilitate community sessions and support initiatives.
• Seek out opportunities for learning and improvement by getting feedback from your colleagues and the business.

Essential Criteria

You will already have experience and understanding of:

• Designing services that meet user needs and organisational outcomes, across all channels.
• Using user research and data to understand user needs, identify and understand problems, inform design decisions and influence stakeholders.
• Communicating information and ideas using things like sketches, user journeys, diagrams, maps, prototypes, and written narratives.
• Planning and facilitating workshops with stakeholders, users and/or internal users.
• Engaging and collaborating with teams and stakeholders in a variety of ways to build a shared understanding of problems to be solved, work through challenges and facilitate design-led decision-making.
• Experience working in agile, multi-disciplinary teams.

Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a 'Further Location Preferences (optional)' field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Leeds Locations

Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC's Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Evidence-based design
• Designing strategically
• Designing together
• Design communication

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,544, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £13,194 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A name-blind CV detailing your Job history, Qualifications, and Experience.
• A 750-word Personal Statement, outlining how you are suitable for this role and how you meet the Essential Criteria, providing evidence where possible.

Sift

In the event of a large number of applications an initial sift will be carried out on your CV.

At full sift your CV, and your Personal Statement, will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

During the panel interview, you will be asked about your Experience (how you meet the Criteria) as well as Technical questions which demonstrate the things you do well and/or are motivated by.

As part of the interview you will be asked to deliver a ten-minute presentation. This will be a scenario-based question that demonstrates one of the Technical Skills listed below. Further details of this will be shared at a later stage, prior to the interview. Here is a link to the Framework: Service designer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Technical Skills:

• Evidence-based design
• Designing strategically
• Designing together
• Design communication

Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. Please note that circumstances may arise that require the planned interview format to change. We will endeavour to provide you with as much notice of any change as possible.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form . click apply for full job details