Service Designer

Company Description

Hello, we’re J5 Design.

We provide design support to some of Canada’s largest public, private, and government organizations.  Over the last decade we’ve built a team of designers, researchers, and strategists driven by our purpose of using design to make the world a kinder, more beautiful place. 

What It's Like Working Here

You’ll be part of a culture with passion for changing the world through service design. Surrounded by creative and friendly co-workers, you will have the opportunity to work on projects that make a difference for people and communities. We want joining J5 to be one of the best decisions that you make in your entire life!

• We are a fun team with multidisciplinary designers, committed to creating the best work environment possible 
• A pleasant and stimulating workplace with a good work-life balance and lots of learning and growth opportunities 
• A workplace that encourages reflection, experimentation, and knowledge sharing 
• The ability to influence how things are done and where we are heading
• Lots of coffee and the fridge is always stocked with snacks and drinks

Please note this is a hybrid position based in Calgary, Alberta, with time spent weekly in office and remote, if desired.

The Opportunity

Do you believe that services should be designed around the people who use and deliver them? Are you energized by complex challenges, curious about how systems work, and motivated to make services simpler, more accessible, and more effective?

At J5 Design, we help organizations tackle complex challenges through human-centred design. We're looking for a Service Designer to join our team, supporting digital service design and delivery within complex government environments.

You'll work alongside multidisciplinary teams to understand user needs, navigate complex systems, and translate insights into practical service improvements. From research and discovery through to prototyping, testing, and implementation, you'll help design services that are accessible, effective, and grounded in real-world needs.

What You’ll Do

• Provide leadership, plan, and deliver service design activities across discovery, research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation.
• Conduct user research, synthesize findings, and translate insights into actionable recommendations and design solutions.
• Develop user stories and acceptance criteria that support the design and delivery of user-centred digital services.
• Develop service design artefacts, including journey maps, service blueprints, ecosystem maps, service concepts, and prototypes.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including product owners, UX designers, developers, business analysts, and others, in agile delivery environments.
• Translate user needs and service design recommendations into clear, actionable requirements for development teams.
• Facilitate workshops, co-design sessions, and stakeholder engagements to build understanding, alignment, and momentum.
• Apply systems thinking to consider end-to-end service experiences, including people, processes, policies, and technologies.
• Prototype and test designs with users and stakeholders, iterating based on evidence and feedback.
• Communicate findings, design recommendations, and future-state concepts clearly to diverse audiences, including senior leadership.
• Support the translation of service design recommendations into practical delivery and implementation activities.
• Apply accessibility, usability, and inclusive design principles throughout the design process.
• Actively leverage AI and emerging technologies to enhance research, synthesis, prototyping, and design delivery, using responsible and appropriate practices.
• Contribute to J5's design practice through knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Bring

• A minimum of 6 years of professional experience in service design and/or digital product design
• A university degree in service design, UX design, or a closely related field. A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated experience applying service design approaches to complex service challenges, ideally within digital transformation or digital service delivery environments.
• Experience collaborating in multifunctional teams
• Proficiency with contemporary design and prototyping tools and methods
• Affinity with J5’s values, and a passion for creating products that meet functional, technical, and emotional needs
• Strong communication, storytelling, and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders and communicate design decisions effectively.
• Confidence working and making decisions independently, managing competing priorities, and adapting approaches as project needs evolve.
• Experience using collaborative design and research tools, along with a willingness to experiment with emerging technologies and AI-enabled workflows.
• A collaborative mindset, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to producing thoughtful, high-quality work.

What We Offer

• A salary of $90-100k. 
• Generous holidays and flexible working hours 
• We have quarterly business reviews, where we come together as a company, taking time out to learn, reflect, and celebrate
• We provide an annual training budget, which can be used for external opportunities from talks and conferences to more bespoke hands-on training
• Access to J5 social clubs, and the opportunity to run your own
• We support you with a J5 buddy when you join to get you started

Application Instructions

As part of your application, please include a link or PDF of your portfolio of recent work, highlighting your abilities and experience relevant to the role, with specific examples of how you work, think, collaborate, and contribute to great design outcomes. Please note that we are unable to accept any applications without a portfolio.

Equal Opportunities and Non-Discrimination

At J5, we are committed to creating a diverse environment. All suitably qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.