Senior Service Design Strategist - City of Philadelphia

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The PHL Service Design Studio (SDS) is an office within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and leads service improvement initiatives at the City of Philadelphia.

We, SDS, believe we’re closer to creating a more just city when residents and colleagues—who have and continue to be marginalized by government actions—can access and deliver government services with ease and agency. To support this belief, we collaborate with community members and staff at all levels of government to design accessible, equitable, and trauma-responsive services that honor the diverse needs of Philadelphians. 

We lead service improvement projects by providing design research and evaluation, strategic service design, participatory and collaborative design, implementation and change management support, strategic planning, and project management.  
 
We help our partners and collaborators: 

• • Build a shared understanding of service challenges and outcomes. 
  • Define strategic approaches for improvements—particularly those that reimagine City services and programs to be more equitable, accessible, and trauma responsive. 
  • Define project scopes to drive improvements forward in the short and long term. 
  • Create and test prototypes of service concepts to ensure effective delivery. 
  • Plan and support the implementation of service improvements at scale. 
  • Coach and consult on applying participatory service design approaches and building deeper relationships with communities. 

As a team, we value:

• • Lived experience and dignity: We center the needs and voices of the people who stand to be the most impacted by our work.
  • Interdependence and solidarity: We center practices and outcomes that are mutually beneficial, use research to understand historical and cultural contexts, and build on existing efforts. 
  • Collaboration and accountability: We build and nourish relationships based on care, honesty, and reciprocity, and take responsibility for the intended and unintended consequences of our actions.  
  • Transformation and impact: We assess root causes of inequity and dysfunction and develop plans, strategies, and tools that help people move through change. 

For more information,

• • Visit our website at phila.gov/service-design-studio and Twitter @DesignStudioPHL.

Read our yearly reports.

As a Senior Service Design Strategist, you’ll:

• Lead service improvement projects and initiatives.
  • Manage multiple, concurrent projects and priorities, including delegating and coordinating tasks and responsibilities across team members.
  • Navigate ambiguity and challenges with a focus on creative problem-solving, generating solutions, and grace. 
  • Set and provide a direction and vision for and with a project team. 
  • Provide mentoring, guidance, and support to project team members.
  • Develop trusting relationships with project partners, direct service staff, and community members.
• Contribute to the growth of the PHL Service Design Studio and practice areas.
  • Report to and be mentored by the Service Design and Delivery Practice Lead.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to grow the practice areas for long-term sustainability.
  • Lead skill-share sessions with colleagues to help them apply service design methods to their work.

In the near-term, you’ll be working with a cross-agency team to deliver projects connected to Executive Order 2-24—ensuring a local government that’s visible, responsive, and effective.

Essential functions
Design research

• Plan research goals, data collection methods, and research samples. 
• Develop research protocol, data collection tools, and other materials. 
• Conduct and facilitate research activities and related processes to collect qualitative data. 
• Lead or support synthesis and analysis processes to generate meaningful insights. 
• Communicate research findings and opportunities to relevant audiences. 

Design strategy

• • Collaboratively generate a broad range of solutions and future vision with diverse audiences. 
  • Design tools like blueprints, process flows, systems maps, etc. to communicate current state and future opportunities.  
  • Develop actionable strategies and recommendations for improvement. 
  • Create roadmaps or plans for long- and short-term improvements and initiatives. 

Prototyping

• • Develop low- and high-fidelity prototypes of service concepts and improvements (or collaborate with technical experts to do so).
  • Test prototypes for usability, accessibility, and effectiveness with stakeholders. 
  • Iterate on prototypes with feedback from stakeholders.
  • Develop implementation requirements.

Implementation

• Design or build improvements at scale or collaborate with technical experts to do so. 
• Plan and conduct pilot tests in collaboration with SDS evaluators. 
• Develop strategies and plans to support the roll out and implementation of new improvements. 
• Consult and coach service delivery staff or teams in adapting improvements in response to changing requirements and real-time feedback. 
• Develop governance plans, accountability strategies, templates, and other documentation to maintain and embed improvements within and beyond the organization. 

Project management

• • Create scopes of work for projects. 
  • Manage relationships with project partners.
  • Develop and maintain project plans and timelines. 
  • Manage multiple, concurrent projects and priorities, which includes delegating and coordinating tasks and responsibilities across team members.
  • Lead project partners, project team, and work streams effectively. 
  • Clearly communicate the status of project work to stakeholders. 
  • Navigate ambiguity and challenges with a focus on creative problem-solving, generating solutions, and grace. 

 Leadership

• • Set and provide a direction and vision for and with a project team. 
  • Provide mentoring, guidance and support to project team members.
  • Contribute thought leadership within the City and to the larger design community. 
  • Understand and negotiate City structures to advocate for people-centered service design. 

Standards development

• • Contribute to the development and maintenance of SDS’s standards, tools, and other resources. 
  • Support other SDS colleagues in applying practice area standards to their projects. 

Competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Values-based practice: Demonstrate commitment to equitable process and outcomes, prioritize the voices most impacted by change and service challenges, and practice emotional intelligence and cultural humility.
• Systems thinking: Understand and work across the complexity and interconnectedness of systems, issues, organizational structures, and ways of working.
• Inclusive facilitation: Facilitate meetings, workshops, and conversations that encourage active participation, rebalance power asymmetries, practice cultural humility, and help groups build consensus or make decisions collectively.
• Communication: Practice clear, accessible, and honest articulation of complex ideas and approaches through spoken, written, and visual formats.
• Collaboration: Manage conflicts with sensitivity, give and request thoughtful feedback, and practice emergence towards shared goals and agreements.
• Relationship building: Build a culture of mutual care, deep listening, reflection, and celebration.
• Continuous learning: Engage in ongoing reflection and learning as well as be aware of and adapt to current trends and practices in design, government, and analogous fields of practice.

We recognize that meaningful ideas and strong teams come from diverse experiences and perspectives. If you’re passionate about this work and have lived experience that aligns with our mission, values, and the nature of our work at the City, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t meet every single requirement.

A successful candidate will have:

• Educational background: A degree in a design-related field (e.g., service design, interaction design, or user experience) or equivalent professional experience in a related industry.
• Professional experience: 4-5 years of professional experience in service design, including managing projects and building strong working relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.
• Service design expertise: Proven ability to apply service design methodologies and tools to analyze, design, and enhance service experiences across various touchpoints.
• Equity-centered design skills: Deep understanding of equity-centered design principles, with a strong ability to advocate for the needs of community members and direct service staff throughout the design process.
• Strategic thinking and implementation: Skilled in translating research insights into strategic recommendations, developing prototypes, and creating tools to support the implementation and scaling of service improvements.
• Project management: Experience leading service design initiatives within organizations, successfully managing project timelines, resources, and delivering meaningful impact.
• Change management and implementation: Strong ability to navigate organizational dynamics, overcome barriers to change, and effectively communicate and sustain service improvements within complex environments.
• Research capabilities: Proficiency in conducting qualitative research and synthesizing findings to inform service design strategies.
• Visualization and communication: Skills in data visualization and visual design to effectively communicate complex information and service concepts.

TO APPLY:  Complete applications are due on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, by midnight ET.

NOTE: To ensure our hiring process is unbiased, we will not be facilitating one-on-one informational sessions with professional peers while we’re actively hiring.

Submit a complete application through Smart Recruiters. A complete application includes the following materials

• A cover letter highlighting the values and lived experiences that underpin your work, your interest in the role, and your service design practice. (No more than 300 words.)
• Your resume or curriculum vitae.
• At least three work samples that demonstrate your service design expertise. Samples could include findings and recommendations reports, service blueprints, prototypes of new improvements, change management plans, and service design strategy documents.

Our hiring process is as follows:

• A hiring committee will only review complete applications.
• Top candidates will participate in a 1.5-hour virtual interview and portfolio review with the PHL Service Design Studio (SDS) hiring committee.
• Final candidates will participate in a 1-hour virtual conversation with SDS leadership.

Start date

• We'd like the new employee to start in January 2025.

Work schedule
The team works 37.5 hours a week. We work in person, in the office 5 days a week. However, there are flexibilities with your schedule.

Salary Range: The maximum salary for this role is $95,000.

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx