About the job

Job summary

It’s a fascinating time to be at the heart of competition and consumer protection as our lives become increasingly digital and as society grapples with the unique power of large technology firms.

If you want to be at the forefront of protecting consumers and ensuring fair competition in the digital era, this position is for you. Join the Data, Technology and Analytics (DaTA) unit at the Competition and Markets Authority and play a crucial role in the UK's digital competition landscape.

About the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

The CMA is the UK’s world-leading body established to make sure competition works well and businesses treat their customers fairly. The DaTA unit is helping the CMA to stay ahead, using the latest developments in data engineering and data science.

Job description

As a Data & Technology Insights Adviser, you'll be instrumental in shaping how the CMA navigates data and tech markets. The work is diverse, ambitious, and often presents new challenges and you will stay at the forefront of developments in data and technology, collaborating within multidisciplinary teams to provide technical advice.

You will support a range of cases, including antitrust or consumer cases, major market studies, and mergers. For example, you might analyse technical explainers and presentations about a firm’s digital systems (e.g. APIs, algorithms, etc.), draft and ask technical questions to the firm’s engineers, or advise non-technical colleagues on technology intricacies.

Additionally, you will contribute to non-case projects collaborating with CMA colleagues from the DaTA Unit and Digital Markets Unit. This may include actively participating in the CMA's work on emerging technologies, helping to anticipate and analyse technology trends set to disrupt markets and you may also contribute to CMA's algorithmic processing projects.

There will also be opportunities to attend external events and read academic research papers. You will build relationships with internal and external experts – technologists, academics, and others – to harness their knowledge and insight for the CMA. Engaging in a variety of interesting cases, your professional development will be regularly reviewed and discussed with those you work with.

Responsibilities

• Work with project leads to provide support across critical business areas for the CMA, e.g. technology focussed antitrust cases, consumer cases, market studies, or mergers of technology firms. This includes working in a diverse, interdisciplinary team.
• Contribute to the delivery of the DTI input to cases with a data or technology focus, or involving research and analysis of algorithms and technical systems, and how people interact with them (utilising your knowledge of and/or ability to learn about various areas of technology).
• Deliver verbal and written communication on key technology and data issues of interest to the CMA to non-technical colleagues, including synthesis or summarisation where appropriate.
• Build and maintain great relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay up to date with new technological developments that are of interest to the CMA, and bring these learnings into the CMA. This includes bringing such insight into proactive work on the emerging technology (emtech) and algorithms programmes.

Person specification

• Degree or equivalent qualification OR work experience in a relevant subject, related to technology or a sociotechnical area. (Lead Criteria)
• Knowledge of one or more areas of technologies (g. AI / ML, cloud, search, privacy enhancing technologies) or you might have expertise in particular areas (such as web development, app development, cybersecurity, etc.) (Lead Criteria)
• Experience researching, synthesising and communicating complex information about technical subjects to non-technical audiences.
• Experience working in a diverse team, contributing to it, sharing resources and supporting the team to be effective in its goals.
• Demonstrable ability to build and leverage relationships both inside and outside an organisation or team.
• Ability to quickly and effectively learn about new areas of technology.

To find out more about the CMA please click below:

CMA – Working for the CMA , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Or our LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/competition-and-markets-authority/

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,924, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £11,589 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, Experience and Technical skills.

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) a case study/task with written paper submission and an interview in the London CMA office or via Microsoft Teams, to include a presentation based on the written paper.

An initial sift based on criteria 1 and 2 (Lead Criteria) may be held if a large number of applications are received. If your application progresses to a full sift, all elements of the essential criteria listed under Person Specification (above and in the attached role profile) will then be considered.

The sift will take place between 04 and 08 January 2024.

If your application is successful you will be invited to attend an interview. You will be notified via email to log-in to your Civil Service Account and book your interview slot. You will be sent an email with full details of your arrangements for interview. 

Interviews will be held from week commencing 15 January 2024.

The first part of the interview will comprise of a presentation (based on your written paper) with follow up questions. Details will be forwarded to you with your invitation to interview. The second part of the interview will be a 45 minute -1 hour panel interview where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills outlined in the role profile.

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.  

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.