Lead Service Designer

About the Department

The Lead Service Designer works to provide structure and clarity across a complex, multi-variable program environment. This role maintains a coherent program-level view across product workstreams, operational realities, policy constraints, and frontline experience, identifying and mapping dependencies and helping the program stay oriented toward outcomes. This role creates the frameworks, maps, and shared understanding that allow diverse partners to move together effectively.

Position Duties

• Develop and maintain service blueprints, journey maps, capability maps, and other strategic artifacts that create a shared understanding of complex services across product, operations, policy, and frontline teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and collaborative working sessions that build alignment around service goals, customer needs, operational constraints, priorities, and future direction.
• Partner with program leadership, product teams, operational stakeholders, and policy partners to define future-state service visions and translate them into actionable plans and priorities.
• Identify risks, dependencies, gaps, and competing priorities across product, operational, policy, and organizational workstreams, and communicate recommendations that support informed decision-making.
• Synthesize research, operational insights, stakeholder input, and service performance data into clear frameworks and recommendations that guide program strategy and service improvements.
• Ensure product delivery, operational processes, policy changes, and organizational readiness remain aligned to achieve intended customer, business, and program outcomes.
• Develop models, documentation, and planning artifacts that improve program clarity, support prioritization, and enable teams to navigate complex, evolving service environments.
• Provide subject matter expertise through design critiques, mentorship, and collaboration, contributing to service design practices and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Protect data security, privacy, accessibility, and regulatory compliance by following MBTA policies, standards, and industry best practices throughout research, design, documentation, and service delivery.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations.   See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions. 

Supervision

• No direct reports.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Six (6) years of relevant professional experience in service design, UX design, UX research, human-centered design, or a related field, including experience leading service design efforts for complex, technology-enabled services that integrate customer experiences, operational workflows, policy or business rules, and multiple delivery teams.
• Experience planning and conducting service design activities (e.g., stakeholder engagement, service blueprinting, journey mapping, systems mapping, workshops, or research) and translating findings into program, service, or product decisions.
• Experience working on cross-functional teams with product, engineering, operations, policy, business, or other stakeholder partners.
• Working knowledge of service design methods, systems thinking, accessibility standards, and inclusive design practices.
• Experience developing strategic artifacts, frameworks, or recommendations that support organizational planning, prioritization, or decision-making.
• As part of the selection process, candidates will be asked to complete and pass job-related technical assessments, which may include presenting a service design case study and/or a timed whiteboarding exercise.

Substitutions 

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement. 
• An associate’s degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience. 
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

Other Qualifications

• Experience in public-sector, transportation, mobility, or civic technology, including knowledge of transit operations or mobility systems. 
• Experience designing products or services that involve complex workflows, operational processes, data flows, policies, or business rules. Experience conducting research with diverse populations, including older adults, people with disabilities, non-English speakers.
• Experience using qualitative research, analytics, operational data, or performance metrics to inform design decisions. 
• Experience mentoring or coaching other designers or providing design guidance to cross-functional teams.

Benefits

Employment Benefits at the MBTA

Full-Time Employees:

The MBTA offers comprehensive benefits packages. Types of benefits offered at the MBTA are subject to the union affiliation / Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of the position to which you apply. Benefits that may apply to your position include the following:

• Insurance: Health, Dental, Vision, Life (basic and supplemental), and Long-Term Disability
• Paid Time Off (PTO): Vacation, Personal Days, Sick Leave, and Holidays
• Retirement: Pension or deferred compensation 401(a), plus MBTA contributions
• Complimentary pass for travel on the MBTA transit system (bus, train, ferry, and Commuter Rail)
• Tuition Reimbursement (up to $10,000 per year)
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for student loans
• Commuter Choice Parking Program: Pre-tax benefits for parking
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Pre-tax benefits for healthcare-related expenses
• Discounted tickets for concerts, movies, travel / vacation, etc. via TicketsAtWork.com
• Shopping discounts via GovX.com
• Verizon and AT&T service discounts
• And more...

Disclaimer:

The above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the MBTA, which may or may not apply to a specific position. This summary is not a contract and is not meant to change the provisions of union contracts or Authority policies and does not establish a binding practice. Please contact the assigned Recruiter directly or email [email protected] for more information.

The MBTA is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Supplemental Questions

Required Question

Agency Information

EmployerMassachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityAddress 10 Park Plaza

Boston, Massachusetts, 02116 Phone(617) 222-3200
Website https://www.mbta.com