About the job

Job summary

Are you passionate about data and technology? Do want to use your skills to make a positive impact on the UK economy and society?

Join the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and play a key role at the forefront of investigating and understanding firms’ sociotechnical systems to protect consumers and competition.

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.

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

Job description

You will join the CMA’s Data, Technology and Analytics (DaTA) unit and work with a team from a range of backgrounds, from public policy professionals, lawyers and economists, to web developers, data scientists and experts in machine learning.

The team is united by our keen interest in technology, its implications for markets and consumers and how regulators should act to amplify benefits and mitigate risks.

Your work with the DaTA unit will shape how the CMA thinks about the regulation of digital markets and data-driven companies. The remit of the team is varied, and you will have the opportunity to be involved in a wide portfolio of work. This might include:

• Working on cases and projects with a data or technology focus, such as the CMA’s investigation into Google’s Privacy Sandbox proposals
• Building capability to audit algorithmic systems
• Contributing to the development and implementation of the government’s approach to AI regulation
• Horizon scanning emerging technologies and trends
• Identifying emerging competition and consumer issues in data and technology markets

You will support cases, utilising your knowledge of areas of technology to contribute significantly to research and the analysis of algorithms and sociotechnical systems. You will need to deliver verbal and written communications on these issues to non-technical colleagues, including writing reports for internal and external publication.

Responsibilities

• Deliver significant contributions to cases with a data or technology focus across critical business areas for the CMA, e.g. technology focussed antitrust cases, consumer cases, markets work, the merger of technology firms, or key digital markets work including the establishment of the Digital Markets Unit (DMU). This includes working in a diverse, interdisciplinary team.
• Contribute to the delivery of the technologist input to cases with a data or technology focus, or involving research and analysis of algorithms and sociotechnical systems (utilising your knowledge of areas of technology).
• Work with internal and external specialists to identify emerging competition and consumer issues in data and technology markets.
• Deliver verbal and written communications on these issues to non-technical colleagues, including writing reports for internal and external publication.
• Build and maintain great relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Utilise pipeline and market monitoring methods such as horizon scanning to identify key trends, risks, and opportunities in technology markets that may impact consumers and competition.
• Support, develop and potentially manage Data and Technology Insight Advisers and/or interns

Person specification

• Post graduate degree, or equivalent qualification OR work experience, related to technology or a sociotechnical area.
• Significant knowledge of one or more areas of technologies. These might be specific technologies (e.g. AI / ML, cloud, search, privacy enhancing technologies) or you might have expertise in particular areas (such as web development, app development, cybersecurity, etc.) 
• Active demonstrable interest in technology and digital markets AND in one or more of the following: competition policy, consumer protection, or regulation of technology markets.
• Significant experience researching, synthesising and communicating complex information about technical subjects, including to non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrable ability to build and leverage strong relationships both inside and outside your organisation at all levels.
• Experience of supporting colleagues, such as through mentorship or line management.
• 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 £55,133, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £14,886 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 around what this will entail 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 via Microsoft Teams, to include a presentation based on the written paper.

The sift will take place on week commencing 12 February 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 week commencing 26 February 2024 

The first part of the interview will comprise an of a presentation (based on the written case study) 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. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.