Job Summary

The Senior Service Designer has deep, specialized knowledge and significant experience of their subject matter. This role manages a portfolio of projects in their area of expertise that contributes to the improvement of patron experiences by conducting research to understand patron needs and behaviours and designing innovative solutions to enhance library programs and services. .

The Senior Service Designer leads the practice that involves understanding user needs, analysing existing processes, and developing innovative solutions. This role collaborates with various Library teams and utilizes design thinking, user research, and prototyping methodologies.

Responsibilities and Activities

Transform: Create the new and Different

Coordinate innovation in a highly complex environment, sourcing ideas inside and outside the organization, advancing innovation through experimentation, and stepping outside the core business to create new and different strategic benefits.

Customer Needs / Experience Research

Provide thought leadership, customer research strategy, and oversight for best practice methods and tools that enable strategic insight into community demographics, trends, needs, and expectations.

Person-centered Approach

Lead the embedding of a person-centered approach across all practices, to ensure the central participation of users and staff in planning and decision-making.

Insights and Reporting

Set and lead execution of the data and analytics reporting plan, creating strategies and templates to report data in a meaningful way. Create, present, and communicate high-impact data and analytics insights and recommendations to critical internal and external stakeholders.

Portfolio Management

Initiate and lead the governance and delivery of a portfolio of projects within a significant area of responsibility, using an appropriate program and project management methodology to give assurance that intended outcomes are identified and achieved.

Horizontal Leadership: Build Collaborative Relationships





Coordinate the establishment of collaborative relationships in a highly complex environment, developing extensive internal and external networks, and facilitating strong collaboration and partnerships across the organization, and relevant fields.

Horizontal Leadership: Influence People

Drive influence in a complex setting, focusing on understanding multi-stakeholder interests, advocating ideas with passion and contagious enthusiasm to move the transformation agenda forward within the business unit.

Diversify Perspectives

Actively engage experts and those close to an issue to bridge differences between groups across an organization so as to understand an issue and develop a solution based on input from those who have value to add. Promote a culture of actively listening to diverse perspectives.

Service Strategy Formation

Lead the development and implementation of service strategy for a local organization, ensuring integration of functional elements and alignment with organizational requirements and external stakeholder needs (including parent organization where present).

Personal Capability Building

Act as subject matter expert in a broad area of public service, including a demographic group, and/or specific methodologies, for the organization. Maintain external accreditations, as appropriate, and in-depth understanding of current and emerging trends, technologies, and industry best practices through continuing professional development, engagement and contribution at conferences, and reading specialist media.

Project Closeout and Handover





Lead and coordinate the closing out of midsize to large programs to ensure effective transition from the project environment to operations and to ensure lessons learned are identified and captured for future reference.

Qualifications

- - Master’s Degree or equivalent education and experience

- Possess an exceptional understanding of their subject matter, with substantial experience in their field of study with dedicated work and practice.
- Able to solve complex problems within their area of expertise and can effectively communicate and teach others about the subject.
- Demonstrated experience using service design methodologies like user research, facilitation, journey mapping, prototyping and testing.
- Demonstrated experience successfully managing a portfolio with multiple projects with agile timelines.
- Strong skills and a diverse toolkit in onboarding deep understanding of user needs and behaviours, with the ability to translate these into actionable improvements.
- Familiarity with library operations, resources, and the unique needs of library users and staff.
- Ability to clearly articulate design concepts and user needs to diverse audiences, including library staff, users, the Library Senior Leadership and Board, as well as, potential funders with the Library Foundation.
- Ability to present findings and recommendations in a compelling and accessible manner.
- Experience working effectively in multidisciplinary teams and facilitating workshops or design thinking sessions.
- Familiarity with relevant library technologies, digital resources, and online platforms
- Willingness to work in a dynamic environment and adapt to changing user needs and priorities.
- Ability to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to enhance library services.

Additional Information

Physical and Cognitive Demands

- Physical demands associated with using a computer for long periods of time
- Moderate lifting
- Mental demands associated with simultaneous and multiple priorities, multi-tasking, and a dynamic work environment
- Manages conflict effectively
- Contributes in a team / collaborative environment

📌 Senior Service Designer (School Age & Experiences) (Calgary)
🏢 Calgary Public Library
📍 Calgary