Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Senior Service Designer
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Job Summary
We are MHCLG
Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there’s never been a more exciting time.
The Senior Service Designer Will Be Part Of Our Elections Digital Division At MHCLG. It’s An Exciting Time To Improve And Expand The Electoral Services In Public Beta To Better Meet Users’ Needs. This Includes:
- Register to vote
- Apply for a proxy vote
- Apply for a postal vote
- Vote in UK elections ‘step by step’
- Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’)
- ERO Portal (a website for Electoral Registration Offices in Local Authorities to process electoral applications)
We need to improve the understanding of the users and their needs, assess the users’ experience of our services and test design ideas. We focus on users with disabilities or users who don’t have access to the internet or lack the skills or confidence to use it. Your work will benefit millions of people who use our services each year to vote in the UK. We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.
Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.
Job Description
Senior Service Designers in our team are experienced practitioners who design, improve and transform complex end-to-end services. They help teams understand problems, identify opportunities, and design services that meet user needs and organisational outcomes. Senior Service Designers also help embed good service design practice across teams.
As a Senior Service Designer, You'll:
- Work with minimal support and provide design leadership to your team
- Lead the design of accessible, inclusive and easy to use end-to-end services that meet user needs and desired outcomes
- Help teams understand problems, opportunities and desired outcomes, using service design to inform decision-making
- Use research, data and service performance insights to develop, test and iterate service improvements
- Identify risks, constraints and dependencies, helping teams make informed trade-offs and decisions
- Facilitate workshops and co-design activities with multidisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders
- Communicate complex design challenges, ideas and decisions clearly to a range of audiences
- Contribute to service design standards, ways of working and capability development across the organisation
Person Specification
We will use the essential criteria below to assess you during the recruitment process. Make sure your CV and cover letter demonstrate how you meet these criteria.
As a Senior Service Designer, You'll Have Experience:
- Leading the design of complex end-to-end services that meet user needs and desired outcomes
- Applying service design methods to understand complex problems and identify opportunities for improvement
- Working with others to deliver meaningful improvements in accessibility, inclusion and usability
- Using research, data and evidence to develop, test and iterate design ideas
- Influencing and shaping change across complex services involving multiple organisations, stakeholders or delivery partners
- Planning and running design sessions with your team and senior stakeholders
- Communicating complex design problems, ideas, decisions and trade-offs clearly to others
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Alongside your salary of £64,811, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £18,775 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).
At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.
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
Application and Selection
The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:
- Experience
- Technical
Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.
Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.
Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.
Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)
Experience & Technical: Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.
Stage 2: Interview
Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description. Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.*
Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-10 minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.
Sifting and Interview Dates
Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 19th October 2026.
Interviews are envisaged to take place shortly after and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.
Group 1 Digital & Data Roles
MHCLG has implemented the Digital and Data capability framework for Group 1 roles. Applicants that are successful and have been offered a position will be required to complete a capability assessment after the interview.
MHCLG will honour completed capability assessments for this role from other Government Departments for existing civil servants on level transfer only. Please provide a copy of your capability assessment to the Hiring Manager when applying. If you have any queries on pay, please contact the Hiring Manager.
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Each experience or technical skill is assessed between 1-3, representing working towards, at or above the job level requirements. You are awarded a proficiency level accordingly, and you will be given opportunity to annually re assess your capability and potentially increase your overall remuneration, through payment of allowances, depending on level of assessed capability.
Candidates moving from another government department have the option to retain their current basic pay if this is within our pay band for the relevant grade.
Grade 7 Group 1 Digital and Data Salary
The basic pay for this role will be between £70,677 (London), £64,811(National). Candidates will usually be recruited to the median of the payscale. A digital allowance of up to £12,894 (National) or £12,736 (London) may also be payable depending on the level of assessed capability, in order to meet the MHCLG overall targeted remuneration rate for the specific grade, location and capability rating. For applicants in receipt of existing allowances, we will assess each case individually, but we would seek not to exceed the MHCLG overall targeted remuneration rate for the specific grade, location and capability rating for existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply, subject to the statements above.
How We Recruit
Find out everything you need to know before applying here.
How to Apply
What you need to know before applying.
Security Clearance Requirements
National Office: BPSS
London Office: BPSS + CTC
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality Requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such
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