Head of Service Design
Help us design services that transform childhoods
At Barnardo's, we believe every child deserves a safe, happy and hopeful future. For over 150 years, we've been innovating to improve the lives of children, young people and families across the UK. Today, we run more than 800 services and are committed to making them excellent, inclusive and designed with the children, young people and families how use them.
We're now looking for an outstanding Head of Service Design to lead this vital work.
About the role
This is a unique opportunity to shape how Barnardo's designs and improves its services, embedding user-centred design across one of the UK's largest children's charities.
As Head of Service Design, you will:
1. Set the vision and strategy for how design drives better outcomes for children and families.
2. Lead and grow a talented team of service designers, building capability, confidence and impact.
3. Champion evidence-based, inclusive, and iterative approaches that put children, young people and families at the heart of change.
4. Influence senior leaders and colleagues across Barnardo's to design with digital in mind, making service journeys more joined-up and future-ready.
5. Demonstrate the value of service design by embedding standards, scaling best practice and evidencing measurable impact.
This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll guide complex programmes directly, while also enabling others to design confidently and collaboratively.
About you
We're looking for a strategic, creative and collaborative leader who can inspire change across a large organisation. You will bring:
6. Deep expertise in service design, with experience applying methods such as user research, journey mapping, prototyping and co-design in complex settings.
7. Strong leadership skills: managing people, building high-performing teams, and supporting wellbeing and progression.
8. The ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across diverse functions, navigating complex decisions with clarity and confidence.
9. Knowledge of how digital and AI can support service design and delivery, alongside an understanding of their limits and risks.
10. A passion for inclusive design and the courage to champion the voices of children, young people and families.
Experience in children's services, health, education or the wider public/third sector would be an advantage, but it's not essential.
When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document (if applicable). This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's . We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
11. Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
12. Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
13. The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme
14. A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
15. Service related sick pay from day 1
16. Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
17. Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
18. Cycle2work scheme
19. Interest free season ticket loans
20. Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
21. 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
22. Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
23. Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
24. Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's