HMRC is looking for Service Designers who are passionate about User Centred Design.

HMRC's services are complex, you need to enjoy tricky problems and thinking about how services and policies will interact. With complex services we have a complex user base - millions of people have to use these services, which means a range of different needs and outcomes.

We want people who are curious about who will use a service, how they will interact with it and how something can be improved, testing those improvements through their design work.

Alongside working on a policy or service problem you'll be a member of a developing service design community; the community provides a safe space to test out design ideas and offer support to other service designers to attain the best possible outcomes.

If this sounds like the sort of thing which excites you, this is the job for you. Watch this video, where we talk about what HMRC does and then how the work we do helps create better services.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3w5_r_Z6xU

Would you like to find out more?


We will be holding virtual presentation sessions which will give you the opportunity to hear from our Service Designers on what it's like to do service design in HMRC.

These will be held on the following dates:

• 22nd April 2025, 1pm - 2pm
• 24th April 2025, 1pm - 2pm

To register your interest, please email Vicky.williamson@hmrc.gov.uk .

There will be limited capacity so places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Both events will have the same structure, so you only need to attend one.

Person specification

As a service designer you will:

• Provide service design expertise on projects
• Develop user-centred services that meet user needs and fulfil business outcomes
• Use best practice and standards to design inclusive services consistent with the rest of government and HMRC
• Analyse pain points and failure points within services and create recommendations to address any issues identified
• Map current service journeys and design service blueprints for new and/or improved services
• Effectively communicate information and ideas using sketches, scenarios, diagrams, maps, prototypes, and written narratives for multiple audiences
• Build collaborative relationships within teams and with stakeholders across different teams and the organisation
• Effectively use facilitation skills with teams and stakeholders to build a shared understanding of problems to be solved and work through challenges

You will also be expected to:

• Actively participate in the service design community within HMRC by helping to facilitate community sessions and support initiatives
• Seek out opportunities for learning and improvement by getting feedback from your colleagues and the business

Essential Criteria:

You will already have experience and understanding of:

• Designing services that meet user needs and organisational outcomes, across all channels.
• Using user research and data to understand user needs, identify problems and inform design decisions.
• Communicating information and ideas using things like sketches, user journeys, diagrams, maps, prototypes, and written narratives.
• Planning and facilitating workshops with stakeholders, users and/or internal users.
• Engaging with teams and stakeholders to help define problems that need to be solved and work through challenges and potential solutions.
• Experience working in agile, multi-disciplinary teams.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Evidence-based design
• Designing strategically
• Designing together
• Design communication

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,110, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £12,778 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A name-blind CV detailing your job history, qualifications, and experience.
• A 750-word Personal Statement, which will outline how you are suitable for this role and how you meet the essential criteria, providing evidence where possible.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.

Sift

In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift will be carried out on your CV to assess Experience.

If you progress to full sift, we will then review your Personal Statement to assess your ability to meet the requirements of the job role, and essential criteria, w ith the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

During the panel interview, you will be asked about your experience (how you meet the Criteria) as well as Technical questions which demonstrate the things you do well and/or are motivated by.

You will also be asked to deliver a ten-minute presentation. This will be a scenario-based question that demonstrates the technical skills listed below. Further details of this will be included with the invitation to interview.

• Evidence-based design
• Designing strategically
• Designing together
• Design communication

Interviews will take place via video link . Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]'.

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application .

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the 'location preferences' section that you can travel to.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations .

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Vicky Williamson
• Email : vicky.williamson@hmrc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk

Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.

Attachments
Combined TC and OGD Pay - English - July 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 128kB)