Staff Service Designer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead the execution of service design independently across various large and intricate projects or workstreams as an individual contributor.

• Exhibit strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills to enhance the end-to-end, front-to-back, and multi-modal user experience for your designated product, project, or portfolio.

• Comprehend the relevant policies, infrastructure, technology, and system limitations that influence the user experience within a specific government service.

• Identify potential gaps and opportunities for improvement throughout the entire service, including client interactions, staff engagement, or processes, by taking a holistic view of all interaction channels.

• Employ standard service design methodologies and artifacts to document suggested service interventions and effectively communicate your understanding of the current and proposed future state of a service to the team and government partners, utilizing tools such as journey maps, service blueprints, system diagrams, and ecosystem maps.

• Establish methods to measure the impact of service interventions and ensure that impact metrics align with stakeholder objectives and user requirements.

• Engage in planning and conducting user research activities and synthesizing research insights, usually in collaboration with qualitative user researchers.

• Create and evaluate design interventions or hypotheses by developing low, mid, or high-fidelity prototypes, gathering valuable feedback, and iterating towards optimal solutions for those affected.

• Collaborate closely with individual contributors and managers from various disciplines (e.g., engineering, research, product, data science, and program) to devise elegant yet practical solutions to design challenges.

• Design and facilitate collaborative workshops and sessions with both internal and external stakeholders to gather feedback on design directions, prioritize user stories, and foster alignment around strategic design directions.

• Cultivate and sustain professional relationships with government partners, community-based organizations, and advisory consultants essential for achieving successful project outcomes.

• Present to internal and external partners in a captivating manner that conveys key messages succinctly, utilizing storytelling techniques and visual communication to underscore client and worker experiences.

• Contribute to project or portfolio discussions and offer your insights as a service design subject matter expert to guide strategic decisions regarding project and product directions.

• Participate in operational and best practices initiatives within the Service Design discipline and the wider User Experience department.

• Mentor junior design staff by pairing, coaching, and elevating the quality of their outputs.

• Provide constructive critical design feedback to peers in UX and service design.

• Advocate for Service Design throughout the organization by engaging in teaching and learning opportunities and promoting human-centered design principles.

• Contribute to the organization's credibility and thought leadership in the field of design.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 6 years of experience in service design and/or design strategy, with at least 2 years at a senior or staff level.

• Direct experience in government services, public policy, civic service design, civic technology, or social impact design within the public sector.

• Proven ability to design, test, implement, and assess complex multi-channel experiences involving technology systems, business processes, policy constraints, and client-facing artifacts.

• A portfolio showcasing your service design work, including your design process, deliverables, and impact.

• Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple high-priority projects and complex workstreams, covering both early-stage discovery and tactical design enhancements to existing processes and technical systems.

• Experience in mentoring designers and effectively communicating the value of design to stakeholders and cross-functional partners.

• Willingness to travel for research and partner collaboration (up to 10% of the time).

• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.

• Experience in a fast-paced, agile software development environment.

• A passion for our mission to enhance government services for those who require them.

• An interest in emerging AI tools and a commitment to utilizing them responsibly and effectively.

• A strong commitment to Code for America's mission of ensuring government services function effectively for the individuals who need them most.

🏝️ Benefits

• Leadership and colleagues with a strong work ethic and shared values, fostering a respectful and caring environment.

• A collaborative, cross-functional, hardworking, and enjoyable workplace.

• Provision of a laptop for work purposes.

• A one-time payment of $700 for remote work setup, along with a $200 stipend (included in the first paycheck) and up to $500 reimbursement, following our equipment policy.

• Monthly reimbursement of $50 for cell phone and/or internet expenses.

• An annual stipend of $500 (per calendar year) dedicated to professional development, prorated at the time of hire.

• Up to $500 of professional development funds may be carried over each year, reaching a maximum of $1000.

• Training and guidance for staff required to use AI in their roles, plus opportunities for employees to acquire AI-related skills to advance their careers.

• Employees receive a full employer match on the first 3% of contributions made to retirement plans.

• Employees with over 3 years of service receive an additional 50% match on contributions between 3% and 5%, allowing for a maximum employer contribution of 5%.

• At least one health insurance option with no cost for full-time employees covering employee-only plans.

• A minimum of 80% coverage for dependent health insurance.

• Code for America staff can work remotely from anywhere in the U.S.

• Main residence of Code for America employees must be within the U.S.

• Full-time employees work 40 hours a week, from Monday to Friday.

• Collaborative working hours: we aim to schedule all internal meetings between 10 AM - 3 PM PT. All Code for America staff members are expected to be available during these designated working hours.

• Open personal time off (subject to manager approval), a minimum of 14 paid holidays, and an organization-wide closure from Christmas Day through New Year's Day.

• Paid sick leave of up to 96 hours annually.

• 17 weeks of paid parental and family leave.

• A 3-week paid sabbatical after 5 years of service.