CX and Service Design Manager

Management Level Manager Job Description & Summary Kia ora, Innovate. Build. Reinvent. Make your skills count at PwC New Zealand. At PwC, our purpose is clear: to build trust in society and solve important problems. Join our diverse whānau of experts and be supported with coaching, flexibility, and a culture where you truly belong. Here, you’ll work with world-leading technology – including AI – bringing your people-focused skills and experience to deliver outcomes that matter. This is a place to keep growing. You’ll learn from the best, take on meaningful challenges, and make a lasting impact for our clients, our communities, and Aotearoa. Ngā Kōrero mo tēnei tūranga / About the role Are you passionate about understanding people, solving complex problems and designing better experiences? PwC New Zealand's Customer Transformation team sits at the intersection of strategy, service design and technology. We're looking for a Human-Centred Design Manager in Auckland who can bring creativity, curiosity and strong design expertise to help organisations rethink how they engage with and deliver value to their customers and communities. This is an opportunity for an experienced designer and problem-solver who enjoys both leading engagements and staying close to hands-on design work . You'll work across a variety of public and private sector clients, tackling complex challenges, turning insights into practical solutions and helping bring meaningful change to life. You'll collaborate with strategists, designers, technologists and business specialists, drawing on PwC's global network while continuing to develop your own expertise and leadership capabilities. Key Responsibilities: Lead human-centred design and service design engagements, from initial discovery and research through to concept development, prototyping and implementation planning. Apply design thinking, customer research and service design methodologies to understand user needs, uncover opportunities and develop practical, innovative solutions. Plan and facilitate engaging workshops, stakeholder interviews, co-design sessions and collaborative problem-solving activities. Translate complex insights into clear, compelling deliverables, including customer journey maps, service blueprints, experience concepts, prototypes and actionable recommendations. Work closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams to connect customer needs with business objectives, operational realities and emerging technology opportunities. Manage design workstreams, client relationships, project timelines and deliverable quality, ensuring meaningful outcomes and a positive client experience. Support and mentor junior team members, sharing design expertise and contributing to a collaborative, creative and high-performing team culture. Contribute to proposals, client conversations and the continued development of PwC's Customer Transformation capabilities. Ngā pūkenga kei a koe / Skills and experience Ideally 6+ years' experience across service design, human-centred design, customer experience, UX, product design, business transformation or related disciplines. Broad design experience, with demonstrated technical depth in at least one area such as service design, UX/UI, product design, customer research or design strategy. Proven experience applying human-centred design methodologies to complex challenges, with the ability to move confidently from research and problem definition through to solution design. Strong practical skills in customer research, journey mapping, service blueprinting, workshop facilitation, co-design and communicating design concepts. Experience with tools such as Miro or Figma would be advantageous. Experience leading design projects or workstreams, balancing hands-on delivery with project coordination, stakeholder engagement and quality outcomes. Strong facilitation, storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to make complex ideas clear, engaging and actionable for different audiences. Comfortable navigating ambiguity, challenging assumptions and considering the broader organisational, operational and customer context when developing solutions. A collaborative and commercially aware mindset, with the confidence to build trusted client relationships, work across disciplines and contribute to business development opportunities. Experience gained in consulting, design agencies, digital product teams or in-house design environments is welcomed. A relevant tertiary qualification in Design, Psychology, Business or a related discipline would be advantageous. Ngā āhuatanga hirahira o te mahi ki PwC / Highlights of working at PwC NZ Growth – Global network; leadership development; AI tools and training; formal learning pathways. Reputation – PwC is known for shaping tomorrow. Join us and you'll accelerate your career while helping clients and communities solve their most important problems. Wellbeing – Life & income protection; Sonder/EAP/Headspace; 15 days' paid sick leave; group-rate health insurance (eligibility applies). Flexibility – Flexible working; supportive coaching culture. Time off – Purchase up to two extra weeks' annual leave; two recognition days provided each year; annual summer shutdown period. Whānau & community – Paid parental leave for all parents with flexible options and financial planning support; inclusive networks; paid volunteering leave. Rewards – Discretionary bonus opportunities; generous referral bonuses; retail discounts & deals. Mō te aha tāu e tatari ana? / What are you waiting for? Hit Apply now. To learn how you can grow and shine in your career at PwC, visit our careers site at https://www.pwc.co.nz/careers.html . Grow here. Go further. Ngā whakautu ki o pātai / Your questions answered: Motuhake / Independence: Maintaining independence is fundamental to demonstrating that PwC has not been influenced by any relationships or situations that undermine our objectivity. This role requires an independence review process. Tono tika mai / Please apply directly: We’re not currently partnering with recruitment agencies for this role. If you’d like to be considered, please apply directly - we’d love to hear from you. Nau mai ngā tono wawe / We encourage early applications: This role may close before the listed date if we identify a suitable candidate. Atamai hangahanga / A.I. usage: Please note that secure, A.I.-enabled tools may support parts of our recruitment process, but all applications are reviewed and decisions made by our people. Travel Requirements Not Specified Available for Work Visa Sponsorship? No Job Posting End Date