About the job

Job summary

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is facing far-reaching changes, as we assume new responsibilities and gain significant powers that ensures we can fulfil our role in supporting the UK’s economy as it continues to grow. The importance of our role means we are always looking for different ways to attract talented individuals. Our graduate scheme, now in its fourth year, offers unrivalled career potential for ambitious graduates.

 About the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

We drive market outcomes that benefits people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. Our work benefits millions of individual people, is high profile, continually evolving and intellectually stimulating with a regular presence in national media and of interest around the world. 

Job description

The Case Officer Delivery Graduate Scheme is an exciting springboard opportunity for aspiring graduates to gain valuable experience working alongside other experts across our delivery teams. As a Case Officer on the Graduate Scheme, you will do three 12-month placements in different parts of the CMA and will contribute to the delivery of high-quality outputs, assisting major investigations and studies. You will work on a variety of interesting cases and investigations, with your professional development regularly reviewed and discussed with those you work with.

You will also access a comprehensive formal learning programme, that includes professional learning, technical learning, leadership skills, management skills, business skills and conferences. Spread over the three years of the scheme, this programme is designed to:

• Expand your knowledge of the CMA through the CMA’s Induction, Understanding, and Deepening courses
• Sharpen your drafting, presenting, interpersonal and IT skills
• Develop your project management know-how through the CMA’s internal courses and by funding your place on an APM Project Management Qualification course

During the second year of the scheme, you will be sponsored to study part-time for an external qualification related to your work at the CMA. You will be able to choose from a pre-selected menu of courses, either legal, economic or leadership in focus, or apply to use the funding on another course relevant to the work of the CMA.

After successfully completing the 3 year Graduate Scheme, we expect successful candidates to have the skills, knowledge, and experience to consider applying for a Principal Case Officer (Grade 7) role at the CMA, which is a competition specialist role with a starting salary of £55,133.

Responsibilities

Delivery

• Support the Project Manager to run the project in a way that ensures due process is followed, that all stakeholders are treated fairly and that the project meets the CMA’s transparency standards.
• Draft a wide range of documents, including: agendas, briefings, minutes, presentations, analysis, summaries of meetings, reports, correspondence and internal and external project papers. This may also include reviewing such documents for quality, accuracy and confidentiality.
• Identify sources of information, carry out research as necessary and assist in formulating information requests to external stakeholders.
• Analyse information and evidence to contribute to the team’s understanding of the issues in the project.
• Ensure that administrative and organisational tasks are efficiently carried out and documented, including internal and external meetings on projects, site visits and hearings.
• Ensure accurate electronic and hard copy distribution of papers, manage filing systems for correspondence and make sure documents and project records are established and maintained.
• Develop and implement processes for the disclosure of material to external parties, ensuring the identification and protection of confidential information.
• Take responsibility for own work (and if applicable, own workstream), including delivery to time, quality and within budget, and identify risks and escalate as appropriate.
• Assist the Directorate’s management team as required.

Stakeholder relationships

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the project team, colleagues across the CMA, and with external stakeholders.
• Act as lead point of contact for some external parties.

Development and leadership

• Participate in the Graduate Scheme training programme.
• Proactively develop own skills, knowledge and career in the CMA.
• There may be opportunities to manage junior team members

Person specification

We are seeking to appoint a cohort of candidates that will thrive at the CMA and provide us with a range of diverse skills and experiences to help us to deliver our mission to make markets work well for UK consumers.

Essential Criteria:

• Achieved, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:2 at degree level or similar equivalent. (Lead selection criteria)
• Effective oral and written communication skills. (Lead selection criteria)
• Ability to undertake complex analytical work, including identifying and assessing a broad range of evidence and drawing out key conclusions and recommendations. (Lead selection criteria)
• Demonstrable administrative and organisational skills that lead to delivering outcomes on time and to the required standard.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, including through building relationships with internal colleagues or external stakeholders.

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 £34,113, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £9,211 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, Ability and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete 3 online tests (Numerical reasoning, Verbal reasoning and Management Judgement), a CV, personal statement and online application form.

We recommend you read Civil Service online tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) prior to starting the tests.

Please note that the tests are not timed.

 After successfully completing the tests, you will be asked to submit an online application which comprises:

• your CV, which should list your qualifications and employment history; and
• a personal statement, setting out how your knowledge, skills, experience and personal qualities meet the Essential Criteria outlined in the Person Specification (above and in attached candidate pack).

Due to the anticipated high level of interest in the graduate scheme positions and subject to the number of candidates that pass all three tests, this stage may initially involve a moderation process, during which the online test scores will be reviewed further and a pass mark or scoring bar will be set. Candidates that achieve the required scoring bar mark across all three tests will progress to the main sift.

If your application progresses to the main sift, it will be assessed against the Essential Criteria and will progress depending on how well you evidence and demonstrate your suitability for the role.  An initial sift based on criteria 1, 2 and 3 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 candidate pack) of the role profile will then be considered. 

All online tests and full applications must be completed by 11:55pm on Tuesday 6 February 2023. Please ensure you allow yourself enough time to complete the tests and submit your application. We cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date and time.

Successful candidates at the sifting stage will be invited to participate in an assessment centre.

Assessment centres are likely to be held virtually during the weeks commencing 04, 11 and 18 March 2024. It may not be possible to offer any alternative dates for the assessment centre, so you are asked to note the timetable and to exercise flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

If you are invited to attend an assessment centre, you will be asked to prepare a presentation based on a topic provided and you will be given at least one week to prepare your presentation. On the day of the assessment centre, you will deliver your prepared presentation, you will have a panel interview and you will be asked to complete a written exercise. The arrangements for the assessment centre will be confirmed in the written invitation.

We will be hosting an online event at 17.30 on Wednesday 24 January, where we will give further details on the CMA and the Delivery Graduate Scheme, including the opportunity to hear from current scheme participants, and answer your questions. We would encourage applicants to attend this, and you can register for the event here Live Q&A event: CMA Grad Scheme 2024 Tickets, Wed 24 Jan 2024 at 17:30 , Eventbrite

The event will be recorded and will also be available to view on the CMA’s YouTube page.

Please note that the dates given here are only indicative at this stage and are subject to change. If you are unable to meet these timeframes, please let us know in your application.

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.