Salary: £51,356- £55,539
Grade: N
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time- part time considered
Location: Harrogate, North Yorkshire
About the role
We are looking for an experienced Lead Service Designer to join our Service Design and Digital Adoption team.
You'll lead the design of complex services, helping teams understand user needs, navigate competing priorities and identify opportunities for improvement. You'll work across organisational boundaries, bringing together different perspectives and helping shape practical, achievable change.
You'll work closely with senior stakeholders, service teams and multidisciplinary colleagues to tackle complex service challenges. You'll be comfortable working in ambiguity, using evidence and insight to help teams make informed decisions.
As a Lead Service Designer, you'll help strengthen service design practice across the council. You'll support and coach colleagues, help develop ways of working, and create opportunities for teams to apply user-centred design approaches more effectively.
About you
We are looking for an experienced service designer who has led complex service design work and can help others apply user-centred design approaches effectively.
The successful candidate will:
- Have experience leading the design of complex services across multidisciplinary teams, in a service design role.
- Be comfortable working through ambiguity, balancing competing needs and helping others make informed decisions.
- Have strong stakeholder management skills and experience influencing senior colleagues.
- Have experience supporting or coaching colleagues and helping teams adopt service design approaches effectively
- Be confident selecting and adapting service design methods to suit the context and challenge.
- Have a good understanding of local authority policies, procedures, and relevant legislation relating to service operation.
- Have working knowledge of government design principles and standards.
- Be educated to degree level (Level 5) or equivalent experience.
- Have evidence of ongoing commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).
About us
The Transformation team at North Yorkshire Council is at the heart of all planned change programmes, driving efficiency and effectiveness to deliver better customer experiences and continuous improvements.
Our Service Design and Digital Adoption team is dedicated to designing council services that are accessible, efficient, and aligned with our operating model. We lead on user experience (UX) practice and deliver in-house developed products and automation tools to support service transformation.
For more information, and to read about the team, please visit Transformation opportunities | North Yorkshire Council
Why Work for us?
As a North Yorkshire Council employee, you will have access to some great benefits via our everybody benefits scheme such as;
- Shopping discounts including home technology
- Green car salary sacrifice schemes,
- Financial wellbeing and health assured and our employee assistance programme to assist with your health and wellbeing.
- A favourable local government pension scheme and flexible working options.
More information, applying and getting help
For more information about our role please contact Anne-Louise Arkle, [email protected]
When you apply, please tell us about you, why this role interests you, and how your experience, skills or approach match the “About you” section above.
For guidance on using AI to assist in your application, please see our guidance Advice on your job application | North Yorkshire Council
Key Dates:
Closing date: 26th July 2026
Interview Dates: w/c 03rd August and w/c 10th August
You may see this role advertised in another location, you only need to apply once for the most convenient location.
Key documents:
Job description.pdf
Total rewards | North Yorkshire Council
Using AI? Please follow our guidance to ensure your application reflects your own knowledge and experience: www.northyorks.gov.uk/advice-your-job-application
NYC are committed to directly recruiting staff and will not accept applications nor services from agency suppliers in respect of our vacancies.
We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to this commitment.
