Job summary
Are you interested in service design and want to make an impact across the NHS? We have the perfect apprenticeship opportunity for you at the NHS Business Services Authority. As a Service Design Apprentice, you'll work closely with project teams to help users achieve their goals by focusing on the end-to-end experience.You will be mentored by experienced professionals to deepen your understanding of agile, user-centred design processes. Alongside practical experience, you will study for a Level 6 qualification in Service Design.Eligibility Criteria:o You must not currently be in full-time education or hold an existing qualification at the same or higher level in a similar subject.o You must have the right to work in the UK and have lived in the UK/EU for at least three years, currently residing in England (as per government guidelines).What do we offer?o 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidayso Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)o Flexi timeo Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely)o Career developmento Active wellbeing and inclusion networkso Excellent pension (20.6% employer contribution)o NHS Car lease schemeo Access to a wide range of benefits and high street discounts!
Main duties of the job
As a Service Design Apprentice, you will:
- Collaborate with Cross-Functional Teams: Work with researchers, analysts, developers, product owners, and designers to understand user needs and contribute to seamless end-to-end experiences.
- Support the Design Process: Assist in mapping user journeys, creating personas, and designing service blueprints. Ensure designs are informed by user research and feedback.
- Contribute to Agile Projects: Participate in agile sprints and daily stand-ups, and help document user stories and design requirements to meet stakeholder needs.
- Create and Test Prototypes: Assist in developing wireframes and prototypes, gather user feedback, and refine designs to meet user needs.
- Focus on User-Centered Design: Help gather and analyze user feedback through testing and surveys, ensuring designs are accessible, inclusive, and sustainable.
- Communicate Design Ideas: Translate technical concepts into clear, non-technical language for diverse audiences, presenting design solutions to stakeholders.
- Learn and Develop: Work alongside mentors to deepen your understanding of service design methodologies, including agile practices.
- Maintain Documentation: Contribute to clear documentation of design processes and decisions, ensuring accessibility for the team.
Throughout your apprenticeship, you'll develop your service design skills and contribute to impactful projects at the NHSBSA.
About us
Here at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), what we do matters.
We manage the NHS Pension scheme, process prescription payments and much more. Our services are used by NHS organisations, contractors and the public: we're proud to be part of something meaningful, that touches millions of lives.
We design our services around customer needs and place people at the heart of our organisation. That's why when you join us, you'll be empowered and supported to help your career grow.
As one of the UK's Best Big Companies to work for, we're connected to our values: Collaborative, Adventurous, Reliable and Energetic. We care about our people, our purpose, and your progress.
We strive to offer a fantastic colleague experience, where every colleague is heard, supported and respected. Wellbeing, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of this, and you can join our Lived Experience Networks who help us bring our authentic selves to work.
We're committed to being a flexible employer and we try to offer a working pattern that suits you where possible, through hybrid working, flexible hours and more.
Alongside a competitive salary with pay progression, we offer a people-centric benefits package, connecting you to the rewards and benefits you value most!
Ready to join us in delivering business service excellence to the NHS, helping people live longer, healthier lives? Apply today and see where the NHSBSA can take you.
We are people connected to care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
In this role, you are accountable for
1. Agile working: Learn how agile delivery works in practice and contribute to iterative development cycles (e.g., sprints) and demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to learn new approaches and adapt to change.
2. Design communication: Develop your ability to explain design ideas and your routine research findings to both technical and non-technical audiences. Support internal and external communications and take account of barriers to understanding such as digital literacy, language, and accessibility.
3. Designing together: You will understand the work of others and the importance of team dynamics, collaboration, and feedback. You actively engage with designers, developers, researchers, analysts, product owners, and delivery managers, ensuring you contribute to and fully understand the collaborative design process.
4. Designing for everyone: You design services that are accessible, inclusive and meet NHS and government service design standards. You will have an awareness of user needs, including those with accessibility requirements.
5. Digital perspective: As you progress in this role you will be responsible for applying design, technology, and data principles in your work. You actively engage with current trends in service design and collaborate with others to set and act on relevant priorities. You demonstrate a clear understanding of the internet and the range of available technology choices, using this knowledge to inform decision-making. You will regularly use digital service design computer software to produce service blueprints and journey flows.
6. Evidence- and context-based design: You will apply evidence-based principles to service design, recognising its iterative nature. You take responsibility for analysing and using data from various sources to inform user-centred design decisions. This includes comparing different types of information and data, exercising your judgment to ensure the best possible outcomes for the service. You will present insight and conclusions based on this data to technical and non-technical audiences.
7. Iterative design: You are aware of how iteration supports user-centred design. You will learn to iterate quickly. You will learn ways to prototype ideas at different levels of realism, or fidelities, and when to use them and as you become more confident you will use these skills in a variety of projects.
8. Leading Design: You show a commitment to agreed good practice for the team. You work with others to understand the reasoning behind decisions.
9. Managing decisions and risks: You will work collaboratively contributing to team decisions. Including using quantitative and qualitative data to inform and suggest improvements to design projects and to the wider team.
10. Designing strategically: You will work to understand the strategic context of your work and why it is important. You will support colleagues with strategic planning in an administrative capacity.
11. Concentration and attention to detail: You will require a strong level focus and concentration when completing desk work, frequent MS Teams calls and keeping up with all relevant academic documentation.
12. Learning and development: Fully engage with all apprenticeship-related activities, including assignments, coaching sessions, and assessments. Proactively seek feedback and development opportunities from mentors and peers.
13. Professional conduct. Demonstrate the NHSBSA values in all aspects of work. Ensure personal compliance with all policies, procedures and standards relating to health and safety, inclusion, and data protection.
In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to. Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager. Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work. Encourage an environment where your own and colleagues safety and well-being is promoted. Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion. Follow NHSBSA policies, procedures, and protocols as they apply to your role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
In this role, you are accountable for
1. Agile working: Learn how agile delivery works in practice and contribute to iterative development cycles (e.g., sprints) and demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to learn new approaches and adapt to change.
2. Design communication: Develop your ability to explain design ideas and your routine research findings to both technical and non-technical audiences. Support internal and external communications and take account of barriers to understanding such as digital literacy, language, and accessibility.
3. Designing together: You will understand the work of others and the importance of team dynamics, collaboration, and feedback. You actively engage with designers, developers, researchers, analysts, product owners, and delivery managers, ensuring you contribute to and fully understand the collaborative design process.
4. Designing for everyone: You design services that are accessible, inclusive and meet NHS and government service design standards. You will have an awareness of user needs, including those with accessibility requirements.
5. Digital perspective: As you progress in this role you will be responsible for applying design, technology, and data principles in your work. You actively engage with current trends in service design and collaborate with others to set and act on relevant priorities. You demonstrate a clear understanding of the internet and the range of available technology choices, using this knowledge to inform decision-making. You will regularly use digital service design computer software to produce service blueprints and journey flows.
6. Evidence- and context-based design: You will apply evidence-based principles to service design, recognising its iterative nature. You take responsibility for analysing and using data from various sources to inform user-centred design decisions. This includes comparing different types of information and data, exercising your judgment to ensure the best possible outcomes for the service. You will present insight and conclusions based on this data to technical and non-technical audiences.
7. Iterative design: You are aware of how iteration supports user-centred design. You will learn to iterate quickly. You will learn ways to prototype ideas at different levels of realism, or fidelities, and when to use them and as you become more confident you will use these skills in a variety of projects.
8. Leading Design: You show a commitment to agreed good practice for the team. You work with others to understand the reasoning behind decisions.
9. Managing decisions and risks: You will work collaboratively contributing to team decisions. Including using quantitative and qualitative data to inform and suggest improvements to design projects and to the wider team.
10. Designing strategically: You will work to understand the strategic context of your work and why it is important. You will support colleagues with strategic planning in an administrative capacity.
11. Concentration and attention to detail: You will require a strong level focus and concentration when completing desk work, frequent MS Teams calls and keeping up with all relevant academic documentation.
12. Learning and development: Fully engage with all apprenticeship-related activities, including assignments, coaching sessions, and assessments. Proactively seek feedback and development opportunities from mentors and peers.
13. Professional conduct. Demonstrate the NHSBSA values in all aspects of work. Ensure personal compliance with all policies, procedures and standards relating to health and safety, inclusion, and data protection.
In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to. Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager. Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work. Encourage an environment where your own and colleagues safety and well-being is promoted. Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion. Follow NHSBSA policies, procedures, and protocols as they apply to your role.
Person Specification
Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable communication skills to listen and respond to the needs of a range of audiences and interpret them clearly for both audiences.
- Both proactive and reactive in communication. Able to contribute to various feedback types, understanding when to choose the right style at the appropriate time, including the ability to recognise any barriers to communication and adapt your approach accordingly.
- Able to identify and work within constraints.
- Able to apply best practices when shown and adopt a flexible approach to work.
- The ability to prioritise workload and to be flexible changing focus between a variety of priorities and projects.
- Be an effective team member who can work under direction but also use initiative to take the lead when necessary.
- Confident knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
- Knowledge of design, with an ability to demonstrate knowledge of user-centred design specifically.
- Comfortable generating ideas using digital collaboration tools.
- Can analyse data from a range of different sources to form judgements in building a strong case for change that will enhance a service.
- Willingness to transfer and develop skills and knowledge into new areas.
- A commitment to complete a service design level 6 apprenticeship and to fully engage with all learning activities and associated projects.
Desirable
- Knowledge and appreciation of evidence-based design.
- Awareness of standards such as WCAG, ISO, etc.
- Awareness of GDS and NHS standards.
- Awareness of digital service design tools such as Miro to produce journey maps, service blueprints and system maps.
- An awareness of NHS Design System as a tool for visualising and prototyping user interactions.
Experience
Essential
- Understanding of how to support a project team and work with users and stakeholders to develop design concepts.
- Experience of using quantitative and qualitative information to solve problems.
- Understanding of how to make design decisions based on research to improve products and services.
- Experience of planning and organising your work around short and regular deadlines such as those seen in an Agile sprint cycle.
- Experience in designing service touchpoints. Ability to tailor your designs to user needs.
- Able to map out user journeys and suggest concepts to explore potential solutions and meet requirements.
- Experience in making design decisions based on design knowledge, user research and knowing the user journey.
- Experience of delivering presentations to an audience of professional or peers in either face to face or virtual environments.
Desirable
- Experience of working in an agile development process
- Experience of designing for users
- Experience of developing new functionality and services in an online or business environment.
- Experience of working with service blueprints.
Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum of 5 GCSEs or equivalent at grade 4 (grade C) or above including English and Maths
- Must meet JGA's entry requirement to the corresponding course.
Desirable
Person Specification
Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable communication skills to listen and respond to the needs of a range of audiences and interpret them clearly for both audiences.
- Both proactive and reactive in communication. Able to contribute to various feedback types, understanding when to choose the right style at the appropriate time, including the ability to recognise any barriers to communication and adapt your approach accordingly.
- Able to identify and work within constraints.
- Able to apply best practices when shown and adopt a flexible approach to work.
- The ability to prioritise workload and to be flexible changing focus between a variety of priorities and projects.
- Be an effective team member who can work under direction but also use initiative to take the lead when necessary.
- Confident knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.
- Knowledge of design, with an ability to demonstrate knowledge of user-centred design specifically.
- Comfortable generating ideas using digital collaboration tools.
- Can analyse data from a range of different sources to form judgements in building a strong case for change that will enhance a service.
- Willingness to transfer and develop skills and knowledge into new areas.
- A commitment to complete a service design level 6 apprenticeship and to fully engage with all learning activities and associated projects.
Desirable
- Knowledge and appreciation of evidence-based design.
- Awareness of standards such as WCAG, ISO, etc.
- Awareness of GDS and NHS standards.
- Awareness of digital service design tools such as Miro to produce journey maps, service blueprints and system maps.
- An awareness of NHS Design System as a tool for visualising and prototyping user interactions.
Experience
Essential
- Understanding of how to support a project team and work with users and stakeholders to develop design concepts.
- Experience of using quantitative and qualitative information to solve problems.
- Understanding of how to make design decisions based on research to improve products and services.
- Experience of planning and organising your work around short and regular deadlines such as those seen in an Agile sprint cycle.
- Experience in designing service touchpoints. Ability to tailor your designs to user needs.
- Able to map out user journeys and suggest concepts to explore potential solutions and meet requirements.
- Experience in making design decisions based on design knowledge, user research and knowing the user journey.
- Experience of delivering presentations to an audience of professional or peers in either face to face or virtual environments.
Desirable
- Experience of working in an agile development process
- Experience of designing for users
- Experience of developing new functionality and services in an online or business environment.
- Experience of working with service blueprints.
Qualifications
Essential
- Minimum of 5 GCSEs or equivalent at grade 4 (grade C) or above including English and Maths
- Must meet JGA's entry requirement to the corresponding course.
Desirable
