Service Design Manager

Service Design Manager

Make a difference. Design and improve services and products through continuous improvement.

At Rethink Mental Illness, we’re working to become a lean organisation, with continuous improvement embedded in how we work every day. We are looking for a Service Design Manager to join our Planning & Improvement team where you’ll help lead improvements in how we design and deliver services and products.

The Business Improvement & Technology directorate was formed in January 2026, bringing together Technology & Business Systems with Compliance, Quality, Audit and PMO. This new directorate has an exciting purpose to drive real, meaningful change across the organisation. It will play a key role in improving how we work, maintaining compliance, shaping and strengthening our technology, systems, and data to deliver quality services, demonstrate our impact and enable strategic planning & delivery.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead service design and process improvement projects from discovery through to design and optimisation

• Embed user-centred design grounded in insight, co-design and evidence based decision making.

• Identify improvement opportunities using data, performance metrics and user feedback
• Facilitate workshops, ideation sessions and re-design processes
• Develop process maps, personas, journeys and design artefacts
• Oversee the production of documentation ensuring alignment to organisational architecture and delivery frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies and regulatory requirements.
• Align service design with organisational goals, user needs and technical feasibility
• Embed design principles and continuous improvement practices across teams
• Work closely with stakeholders to influence, challenge and drive sustainable change
• Mentor and coach and support colleagues in the team, building capability in service design and improvement
• Monitor, test and refine solutions to ensure real impact

• Establish feedback loops, monitoring and performance measures.

What you’ll bring

Essential experience

• Experienced in designing services and products over the full design lifecycle.
• Experienced project manager, ideally skilled in agile and waterfall methodologies.
• Understand user research principles, personas, journey mapping, co-design and accessibility.
• Skilled in end-to-end service mapping and identifying interdependencies.
• Ability to understand complex systems and design services that work across teams and channels.
• Ability to build strong stakeholder relationships across differing levels in Rethink Mental Illness including influencing and negotiating to achieve sustainable improvements.
• Knowledge of Lean or continuous improvement methodologies
• Skilled in data analysis, interpreting complex data into clear and actionable insight.
• Experienced in identifying inefficiencies and redesigning processes for quality, efficiency and user experience.
• Ability to champion change, bring others on the change journey through understanding needs and engaging effectively.
• Ability to prioritise challenges, frame problems and design strategic solutions.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in written form.

Desirable

• Experience of using Lean methodologies.
• Experienced in facilitating and coaching others.
• Experience in developing technology-based products.
• Experience in user research.

Why join us?

At Rethink Mental Illness, we know that when people feel supported, they do their best work. That’s why we offer a range of benefits designed to help you thrive:

• Wellbeing support including EAP and mental health tools
• Inclusive culture with active staff networks
• Recognition & rewards through discounts and internal platforms
• Generous leave – 25 days + bank holidays + your birthday off
• Learning & development to support your growth
• Family & financial support including pension and enhanced leave
• Travel benefits like cycle-to-work and season ticket loans
• Referral bonus up to £300

Our commitment to inclusion

We’re proud to be building a diverse, inclusive and anti-racist organisation. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds—especially those with lived experience of mental illness and individuals from underrepresented communities.

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued and able to belong.

Ready to apply?

If you’re passionate about designing better services—and want to use your skills to make a real difference—we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and help us rethink mental illness.

Interviews are expected to be held Monday 22nd or Wednesday 24 June