About the job

Job summary

We are seeking Project Officers to apply their strong administrative, research and organisational skills to support the impactful work of the Markets Group at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

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 Markets Group examines markets that do not appear to be working well and uses a range of policy-based and other solutions to introduce positive changes in the interests of consumers. Current and recent Markets work has covered road fuels, housebuilding, funerals, mobile ecosystems, online platforms and digital advertising and electric vehicle charging.

About the role

As a Project Officer, you will play a central role in supporting the day-to-day running of Markets projects. Your responsibilities will include:

• Assisting in the preparation of a wide range of project documentation and managing evidence and data effectively.
• Developing and managing influential relationships with a wide range of stakeholders through both oral and written communications.
• Conducting thorough research and analysis of information.

About you

Successful candidates will possess strong organisational and administrative skills, a keen eye for detail and the ability to manage priorities effectively to meet deadlines. They will also have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to tailor messages to different audiences and experience representing organisations to stakeholders.

Proven research and analysis skills, alongside a solid understanding of data and information management and associated risks in improper use, is also important.

To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, please see below and click on the APPLY button.

Further details on the CMA can be found on the CMA’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter pages.

Application closing date: 11.55pm on Monday 15th April 2024.

Job description

As a Project Officer in Markets you will:

Delivery

• Work to support the identification and development of proposals for new projects, analysing existing policies or regulations, influencing Government policy and delivering projects.
• Support team managers with the day-to-day running of the project, helping to organise and delegate the work and helping to ensure that the project is driven forward.
• Support team managers to run the project in a way that ensures due process is followed, that all stakeholders are treated fairly and that the CMA meets its transparency objectives.
• Draft correspondence and a wide range of documents (agendas and minutes, presentations, summaries of hearings or analyses, reports, and internal and external project papers) including reviewing documents for quality, accuracy and confidentiality.
• Ensure that administrative and organisational tasks including internal and external meetings on projects, visits and hearings are efficiently carried out and documented.
• Ensure accurate electronic and hard copy distribution of papers, managing filing systems for correspondence, make sure documents and project records are established and maintained.
• Develop and implement appropriate processes for the disclosure of material to external parties and for the identification and protection of confidential information.
• 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. Identify risks and escalate these as appropriate.
• Take responsibility for own work (and if applicable, own work stream), including delivery to time, quality and within budget, and identify risks and escalate as appropriate.

Stakeholder relationships

• Develop and manage influential relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders e.g. other government departments, consumer groups, regulators.
• Act as lead point of contact for varying external parties e.g. businesses, law firms, consumer representatives. 

Development and leadership

• Proactively develop own skills, knowledge and career in the CMA.
• Manage staff as appropriate and assist in developing colleagues, including through performance management, monitoring work allocation, identifying training needs and day to day supervision as well as providing feedback to staff managers on the work delivery of other relevant team members.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application and / or at interview. If you do not meet the lead selection criteria in your application, the panel will not be required to score your application against the remaining essential criteria of the role:

• Strong administrative and organisational skills, including the ability to pay strict attention to detail and accuracy, and successfully prioritise work in order to meet deadlines (lead criteria).
• Strong oral and written communication skills tailored to the needs of different audiences and experience of representing organisations to stakeholders either orally or in writing (lead criteria).
• Proven research and analysis skills, with experience of gathering, summarising and presenting information.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with experience of contributing through working as part of a team and work managing colleagues.
• Strong data and information management skills and a demonstrable understanding of the importance and risks associated with the improper use, handling and disclosure of information.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,550, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £9,868 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.

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

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review) and an interview. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation sent when you schedule your interview slot, note interviews will be either in person or virtual via MS Teams.

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

Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to provide evidence that you have the knowledge and recent practical experience for each of the following selection criteria in your application:

1. Strong administrative and organisational skills, including the ability to pay strict attention to detail and accuracy, and successfully prioritise work in order to meet deadlines (lead criteria).
2. Strong oral and written communication skills tailored to the needs of different audiences and experience of representing organisations to stakeholders either orally or in writing (lead criteria).
3. Proven research and analysis skills, with experience of gathering, summarising and presenting information.
4. Strong interpersonal skills, with experience of contributing through working as part of a team and work managing colleagues.
5. Strong data and information management skills and a demonstrable understanding of the importance and risks associated with the improper use, handling and disclosure of information.

The sifting dates are 16th - 23rd April 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 to book your interview slot. You will then be sent an email with full details of your arrangements for interview.

Interviews will be held between Tuesday 30th April and Friday 3rd May 2024.

If selected, the interviews will be held either in person or virtually via MS Teams.

On the day of the interview you will attend a panel interview. The panel interview will be approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour in length where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience outlined in the role profile.

The first part of interview will be a presentation for which advance preparation is required, details of which will be sent to you before the interview. 

If you have any inquiries relating to your application, you can email recruitment@cma.gov.uk.

Reasonable adjustments:

In order for a person with disabilities not to be put at a disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

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 instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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.