Job Title: Sr. Service Designer
Location: Edmonton, AB (onsite)
Our client is seeking a creative and experienced Service Designer to join our team and focus specifically on enhancing the services supporting our vibrant research community. The Service Designer will play a pivotal role in understanding, reimagining, and improving the end-to-end experiences of researchers, faculty, students, administrators, and external partners as they interact with research administrative processes. This includes, but is not limited to, grant application and management, ethics review, research finance, reporting, compliance, and knowledge mobilization support. You will employ human-centered design methodologies to uncover user needs, identify pain points, map complex service ecosystems, and co-design intuitive, efficient, and effective service solutions. Success in this role requires a deep understanding of service design principles combined with specific experience navigating the complexities of research administration within a postsecondary environment
Skills and Knowledge Needed to do the Role
– Bachelor’s degree in Design (Service Design, Interaction Design, UX Design), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Anthropology, Psychology, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field, OR equivalent professional experience.
– Minimum 3 years of professional experience as a Service Designer, UX Designer, or similar role focused on designing complex services.
– Demonstrated experience applying a range of service design methodologies and tools (e.g., user research techniques, persona development, journey mapping, service blueprinting, workshop facilitation, prototyping).
– Specific, demonstrable experience designing or improving administrative or operational services within a university, research institution, or similarly complex organizational environment.
– Proven ability to understand and map complex systems and processes involving multiple stakeholders and touchpoints.
– Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse audiences (from senior leadership to front-line staff and researchers).
– Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
– Experience facilitating collaborative workshops and design sessions.
– Portfolio showcasing service design projects, demonstrating your process, methodologies, and impact.
Nice to Have
– Direct experience designing services related to research administration (e.g., grant proposal development, pre-award/post-award support, ethics review processes, research finance, compliance, reporting).
– Master’s degree in a relevant field.
– Experience working directly within a university Research Office or similar unit.
– Familiarity with the Canadian research funding or advancement landscape (e.g., Tri-Agency – CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) and related policies/procedures.
– Experience with change management principles and practices.
– Experience designing digital and non-digital service touchpoints.
– Familiarity with relevant university systems (e.g., grants management software, ethics portals, financial systems).
Soft Skills
– Empathy & User-Centricity – Systems Thinking
– Collaboration & Teamwork – Facilitation & Co-creation
– Visual Communication – Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
– Adaptability & Resilience
– Storytelling
The pay range that the employer reasonably expects to pay for this position is between CA$40.00 and CA$65.00
Our voluntary benefits offering includes medical, dental, vision and retirement benefits.
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.
Tundra Technical Solutions would like to thank you for the interest you have demonstrated in this opportunity. However, only candidates with the required skills will be contacted.
Tundra Technical Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We welcome and encourage diversity in our workplace.
Not interested in this position, but know somebody who might be? Check out our Referral Reward Program, referrals are a big secret behind our success. As always, we’re on the lookout for great people. And we know that you know great people!
Tundra Technical Solutions is among North America’s leading providers of Information Technology and Engineering staffing and consulting services. Our success and our clients’ success are built on a foundation of service excellence. Rather than continually trying to sell to new clients and companies and simply filling databases with candidates, we focus on developing stronger relationships and deeper knowledge of our existing clients’ challenges and opportunities.
Open ears. Open minds. Open futures