Applying for Service Design Lead
You will shortly be redirected to our secure application processing portal.
If you are not redirected please click here:
Job
Service Design Lead
Vacancy ID
12029
College/Exec Group
University Secretariat
Location
Hybrid – UAL High Holborn/Home
Salary
£60,484 -£73,058 per annum
Contract
Fixed Term
Hours
35
Apply by
27 October 2025, 11:55 pm
Please read through our FAQs before applying
Further actions
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.
Your profile
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.
We are UAL
University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.
As a University we are ranked second in the world for Art and Design. We are formed of 6 Colleges with unique histories and identities: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL also has 4 Institutes, 5 Research Centres, 1 Pre-Degree School and 2 subsidiary companies delivering specialist activities.
Application process
We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our job board. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.
We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.
If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.
Candidates are advised to submit applications early.
