About the job

Job summary

Are you looking to further your career in an intellectually stimulating role where your actions will directly influence the competitive landscape of the UK’s economy?

Join the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) Mergers team as a Case Officer and play a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of merger investigations.

About the CMA

We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. Our work is wide ranging, ambitious and often new and challenging.

The CMA’s Mergers team investigates UK qualifying mergers that could lessen competition. We investigate mergers in all economic sectors, from finance to telecommunications or digital markets, addressing anti-competitive behaviour, and protecting consumers from unfair practices.

We are fully committed to being a flexible, respectful and inclusive employer. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we welcome applications from under-represented groups.

You can read more about working at the CMA in our candidate pack

Job description

As a Case Officer, you will work across a range of merger control cases to ensure that investigations are evidence based and follow due process. You will provide administrative support to case teams, undertaking a range of administrative duties including liaising with affected businesses and consumers, drafting and logging correspondence, preparing summaries of third-party responses to market questionnaires and undertaking a range of organisational tasks.

You will assist case teams with assessments during merger investigations, analysing key information that will inform the team's understanding. Using your strong written and oral communication skills, you will contribute to discussions on the relevant issues of a merger, investigating and evaluating potential sources of information, and identifying any legal, operational, and financial risks.

In addition to case work, you will also help develop our institutional practices, policy, and know-how, contributing to the continuing improvement and updating of the internal case management system, as well as the CMA’s decisional precedent database and case web pages.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application. For tips on how to make the most your application, please have a look at our guidance document.

• Evidence of strong project management, administrative and organisational skills, including experience of using organisational systems and procedures for case or document management, and the ability to prioritise work to meet tight deadlines [lead criteria].
• Evidence of proven research and analysis skills, with experience of gathering, analysing, summarising and presenting legal, financial and business information [lead criteria].
• Demonstrable knowledge of or experience in merger control, competition law, or regulation. This can be demonstrable by a legal, economic or regulatory qualification OR relevant experience of using these skills in a professional, competition, or regulatory context.
• Evidence of strong oral and written communication skills, with experience of drafting and producing a range of documents tailored to the needs of different audiences in a timely manner.
• Evidence of working collaboratively with others, including through working as part of a team and managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, in particular, Outlook, Word and Excel, as well as experience using Electronic Data Record Management systems and databases.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,550, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £9,869 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

You will also be assessed on the following Value:

• Collaborative

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and an online application form. Further details about application requirements are listed on the application form.

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review) and an interview, which includes a written exercise and presentation.

Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to provide evidence that you have the knowledge and experience for each of the essential selection criteria (as included on the role profile attached and listed above under 'Person Specification') in your application.

The closing date for applications is 01 July 2024 (11.55pm). 

We cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date and time.

The sift will take place from 02 to 09 July 2024.

Interviews are planned to take place from 16 July onwards.  Those invited to interview will be asked to complete a written exercise and prepare a short presentation, details of which will be provided in advance of the interview.

The interview will be a 1 hour panel interview, beginning with your presentation. You will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience elements outlined in the role profile.

Interviews will take place at a CMA office or via MS teams.

Reasonable adjustments

We want to make sure no one is at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process.  You can also email recruitment@cma.gov.uk.

For example, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional. You might also require additional time to complete a timed assessment or a sign language interpreter to support with the relaying of information.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.