CX and Service Design Manager

Description

The company is the company New Zealand's Customer Transformation team, which works across strategy, service design and technology. The role is a Human-Centred Design Manager based in Auckland.

You will work with public and private sector clients on complex problems, turning insights into practical solutions and helping them deliver change. The role mixes leading engagements with staying close to hands-on design.

You will work alongside strategists, designers, technologists and business specialists, with access to the company's global network while building your own expertise and leadership skills.

Ideally you have 6+ years' experience in service design, human-centred design, customer experience, UX, product design, business transformation or a related field. Applicants should show clear technical depth in at least one area.

Maintaining independence is fundamental to the company. This role requires an independence review process.

Recruitment agencies are not being used for this role; please apply directly. The role may close before the listed date if a suitable candidate is found. Secure A.I.-enabled tools may support parts of recruitment, but people review all applications and make decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead human-centred and service design engagements from discovery and research through to concept development, prototyping and implementation planning.
• Use design thinking, customer research and service design methods to understand users, find opportunities and build practical, new solutions.
• Plan and run workshops, stakeholder interviews, co-design sessions and collaborative problem-solving.
• Turn complex insights into clear deliverables such as journey maps, service blueprints, experience concepts, prototypes and recommendations you can act on.
• Work with clients and multidisciplinary teams to link customer needs to business goals, operational realities and new technology.
• Manage design workstreams, client relationships, timelines and deliverable quality to achieve results and a good client experience.
• Support and mentor junior team members, sharing design know-how and helping build a collaborative, creative, high-performing team.
• Contribute to proposals, client conversations and the growth of the company's Customer Transformation capabilities.

Requirements

• Broad design experience, with demonstrated technical depth in at least one area such as service design, UX/UI, product design, customer research or design strategy.
• Proven record applying human-centred design methods to complex problems, moving confidently from research and problem definition to solution design.
• Strong practical skills in customer research, journey mapping, service blueprinting, workshop facilitation, co-design and presenting design concepts.
• Experience leading design projects or workstreams, balancing hands-on work with coordination, stakeholder engagement and quality.
• Strong facilitation, storytelling and communication skills, making complex ideas clear and usable for different audiences.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, willing to challenge assumptions, and able to consider the wider organisational, operational and customer context.
• Collaborative and commercially aware, able to build trusted client relationships, work across disciplines and contribute to business development.
• Optional: experience with Miro or Figma.
• Optional: experience in consulting, design agencies, digital product teams or in-house design. A relevant tertiary qualification in Design, Psychology, Business or a related discipline.

Conditions

Based in Auckland.

Travel requirements are not specified.

Visa sponsorship is not available.

Flexible working is available.

Benefits

• Growth: global network, leadership development, AI tools and training, and formal learning pathways.
• Wellbeing: life and income protection, Sonder/EAP/Headspace, 15 days' paid sick leave, and group-rate health insurance (eligibility applies).
• Time off: option to buy up to two extra weeks' annual leave, two recognition days each year, and an annual summer shutdown.
• Family and community: paid parental leave for all parents with flexible options and financial planning support, inclusive networks, and paid volunteering leave.
• Rewards: discretionary bonus opportunities, referral bonuses and retail discounts.