Service Design and Innovation Lead

About The Role In this role, you will lead the City’s approach to service design and innovation, partnering with leaders to guide redesign initiatives, deliver measurable community value, and embed innovation practices across the organisation. You’ll run the Innovation Hub, build capability, and support service owners to turn insights and ideas into meaningful outcomes. Work type: Permanent, Full‑Time.Classification: Band 8 commencing at $122,040 pa plus super. Key responsibilities include: Leading service innovation projects and embedding human‑centred design methods. Operating the City’s Innovation Hub, facilitating workshops, and enabling idea generation. Providing expert advice to service owners and senior stakeholders. Evaluating innovation initiatives and reporting measurable outcomes. Partnering across the organisation to drive continuous improvement and customer value. About You To be successful in this role, you will have a degree‑level qualification in design (service, product, or experience design), innovation, public policy, business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience. Essential Experience Knowledge of relevant legislation and practices related to service design and improvement ensuring compliance and effective strategy implementation. Extensive experience applying service design and/or innovation methodologies in complex environments. Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence, coach, and collaborate at all levels. Demonstrated capability to lead projects, facilitate workshops, and support change initiatives. Excellent problem‑solving, communication, and presentation skills. Preferred candidates will be required to undergo a National Police Check and a Working with Children’s Check as part of the recruitment process (funded by the City). Child Safety Responsibilities We are committed to being a child‑safe organisation and have zero‑tolerance for child abuse. We have specific policies, procedures, and mandatory training in place to support employees, volunteers, and contractors to achieve and adhere to these commitments. Please read our Child Safe Standards Management Policy. Diversity and Inclusion At the City we want a workforce that reflects the community we live in. We welcome and embrace everyone, all people with their own unique experiences, and support and encourage all our employees to do their best work, have equal access to opportunities and a just working environment. For this reason, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from First Nations people, people with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, from the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disability and people of all genders, ages and diverse experience. We are the City From parks to offices, childcare centres to works depots, leisure facilities to the Wool Museum and waterfront, our team plays a vital role in shaping our vibrant and growing community. Our community counts on us to get the essentials right while looking for ways to go beyond. By listening, collaborating, and focusing on sustainability, we strive to do the basics brilliantly and create a lasting impact. If you’re ready to be part of something bigger, join us in shaping the future of Geelong. Applications and Enquiries Click the Position Description link to view more information about this position. Enquiries:Nikki Short | Senior Talent Acquisition Partner | Click the Apply button to submit your application or find out more about this opportunity. If we can assist you with any reasonable adjustments in order to submit your application for this role, please contact the Talent Acquisition team via email at noting your preferred method of communication and contact details and a member of the team will be in touchn We collect demographic data to help us learn who our advertisements are reaching and how we can reach an even more diverse audience. We are committed to building a more diverse team. Your responses to our demographic questions are strictly confidential and will not be individually shared. To obtain a copy of the position description, please visit #J-18808-Ljbffr