Senior Service Designer (Prison-Based)

Closing Date: 02/07/26

Interviews: 20/07/2026

Grade: 7

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary**

National: £58,511- £73,450 (which may include an allowance up to £14,939)

London: £63,343 -£78,225 (which may include an allowance up to £14,882)

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Location:

HMP Bullingdon (Bicester)

HMP Durham

HMP Exeter

HMP Pentonville (London)

Contract Type: 18-month FTC with the potential for the role to become permanent (subject to review)

Number of vacancies: 4

Vacancy number: 18831

Minimum 4 days per week in the prison

*Please indicate which Prison location you are applying for in your application

The Role

Please note this role requires you to pass BPSS and an Enhanced DBS check. Please click on the link for details.

We’re recruiting four Senior Service Designers here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Prisons Digital team.

This role aligns against Senior Service Designer from the Government Digital and Data Framework

We’re looking for four Senior Service Designers to join the senior leadership teams, onsite, in 4 Reception prisons: HMP Bullingdon (near Bicester), HMP Durham, HMP Exeter and HMP Pentonville (London). This initiative follows a successful pilot where an embedded service designer was able to design and implement effective operational change.

You will be trained to carry keys and move independently around residential wings and other areas of the prison. Working alongside Governors and senior leaders across reducing reoffending, security, regime, and operations, you will identify and test opportunities to improve how prisons function day-to-day.

You will conduct research with staff and people in prison, turn findings into actionable insights, and work with staff to design, prototype and test improvements to services, processes and operational practices. You will communicate insights and recommendations to stakeholders at all levels and help shape decisions about which changes to implement and scale.

You will also help introduce and embed user-centred design approaches in an environment where many staff will have little or no experience of these methods. This includes coaching others to participate in research and design activities and demonstrating how user-centred approaches can help solve persistent operational problems and improve outcomes for people in prison.

Alongside your local prison role, you will be part of a national programme focused on improving the role of reception prisons and outcomes for prisoners. You will work with other practitioners to share learning, coordinate approaches and scale successful changes across the prison estate.

You will also be part of the Prisons Digital service design team, giving you access to collaboration, professional support and strategic context on wider digital change across HMPPS. Beyond this, you will be connected to the wider Ministry of Justice user-centred design community, working alongside researchers, designers, analysts and others improving services across the justice system.

We’re committed to creating a positive work environment, as well as doing great work. We offer brilliant training opportunities, excellent kit and support from expert colleagues. On top of that, you’ll find flexible working, an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.

Please note that these are onsite roles, in category B local prisons for adult males. They are all reception prisons, meaning they are the entry point for people into the prison estate. The role will include direct contact with people who have been charged with or convicted of a broad range of offences, including violent and sexual offences.

If you’re passionate about creating positive change and are excited to work in an environment that’s equal parts rewarding and challenging, we would love to hear from you!

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct research with prison staff and people in prison to understand needs, challenges and opportunities for improvement across the prison system
• Synthesise research findings into actionable insights and communicate them clearly to stakeholders at all levels
• Lead the design, prototyping and testing of improvements to prison services, processes and day-to-day operations
• Work closely with prison leadership teams and frontline staff to identify priorities, shape strategic decisions and support implementation of change
• Develop service concepts and blueprints that consider the wider operational, policy, digital and non-digital prison ecosystem
• Advocate for and apply user-centred design methods in environments where these approaches may be unfamiliar
• Coach and support prison staff and colleagues to participate in research and design activities
• Contribute to the national programme of improvement across reception prisons by collaborating with other practitioners, sharing learning, and supporting the scaling of effective approaches across the prison estate

• Collaborate with colleagues across Prisons Digital and the wider Ministry of Justice user-centred design community to share learning, shape wider change and support the development and scaling of digital and non-digital solutions

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• Evidence-based design - experience conducting and synthesising research in complex environments to identify actionable insights and inform service improvements.
• Designing strategically - experience designing or improving end-to-end services in complex operational or public sector environments.
• Design communication - ability to communicate complex insights and design ideas clearly to a wide range of stakeholders and build support for change.
• Iterative design - experience designing, prototyping and testing service improvements using appropriate design methods and artefacts.
• Designing together - experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and involving users and stakeholders throughout the design process.
• Leading design - experience influencing stakeholders, setting direction, coaching others and embedding user-centred design approaches in environments where these methods may be unfamiliar.
• Designing for everyone - experience designing inclusive and ethical services for people with complex needs or who may experience disadvantage, vulnerability or exclusion.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS and Enhanced DBS clearance

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Salary Information**

Base salary for this role is from National: £58,511- £65,329 London: £63,343 -£70,725

• New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
• Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
• Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.
• Candidates may also be eligible for a non‑pensionable Government Digital & Data Allowance of up to £14,882 per year (London) or ££14,939 (National). This is a temporary allowance, reviewed annually and may be retained, amended, or withdrawn.

The final offer will reflect the skills and experience you demonstrate during the assessment process.

How to Apply

In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience and Behaviours during the assessment process.

Stage 1 - Application and sift:

To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 750 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the following two criteria listed below, using a separate paragraph for each.
• Evidence-based design - experience conducting and synthesising research in complex environments to identify actionable insights and inform service improvements.
• Designing for everyone - experience designing inclusive and ethical services for people with complex needs or who may experience disadvantage, vulnerability or exclusion.

A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.

Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on Evidence-based design will be conducted before the sift.

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance

Stage 2 - Interviews:

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements – Experience and the following Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Working together

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a presentation that assesses your experience in Iterative design. Further details will be provided if successful at sift.

Appointments are made strictly in merit order. In the event that two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the Designing Strategically criteria will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.

Use of 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk