About the job

Job summary

Are you interested in shaping national news agendas? Working on high profile cases that make a difference to people and that journalists want to write about? How about taking on our increasing portfolio across tech and major mergers?

We’re looking for a talented and capable senior press officer who already has good experience to join the CMA’s successful media relations team on a twelve-month contract (acting as cover for a colleague who is currently on loan to another team). You will be joining at a busy and exciting time as the CMA’s public profile and role continues to expand.

With the CMA taking on responsibility for regulating digital markets, and increased responsibility for large mergers post-Brexit, as well as working on consumer issues that matter most to millions of people (such as fuel costs, supermarket prices and housing), a strong interest, a good intellect, and a desire to get up to speed quickly in these technical and complex areas is essential.

About the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. 

This role offers existing Civil servants to come across on loan (either lateral or promotion).

What we can offer you

We recognise the value of work-life balance, offering hybrid working arrangements and flexible working options including part-time, compressed hours, and job share arrangements. You will be equipped with excellent technology tools and services that facilitate collaboration regardless of your location. Our modern, professional workplaces across the UK provide an exceptional working environment. Furthermore, we proactively promote mental and physical well-being through a diverse range of well-being initiatives, including an employee assistance programme and a supportive network of mental health first aiders. 

The CMA is a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. All CMA staff enjoy generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme, at least 25 days leave (increasing to 30 over five years), and generous maternity/paternity leave provision. You can also take advantage of interest-free season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme.

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

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/

Job description

The CMA is here to make sure competition works on behalf of people, businesses and the UK economy – and that customers are treated fairly. That could involve investigating anti-competitive pricing for lifesaving drugs, intervening in big mergers that are bad for businesses, tackling unfair behaviour by tech giants or cracking down on fake reviews and misleading ‘green’ claims.

The Senior Media Relations Officer will take responsibility for leading and delivering CMA communications work to a high standard – whether that’s rebutting a critical story from a national paper, finding the perfect place to land an op-ed or planning for and delivering major announcements. Given the varied nature of our work, the person who takes on this role will be used to dealing with media contacts at all levels and be confident in setting up and supporting on interviews – from competition wires to the BBC. The role will involve working with colleagues in the Strategy, Communications and Advocacy (SCA) Directorate to ensure our communications are integrated, professional and deliver the messages we want them to.

The post holder will provide assured and effective media handling advice to colleagues across the CMA, including the CEO and Chair, on a range of high profile and exciting projects. They will take responsibility for ensuring our media relations activity is impactful and helps to deliver key communications’ objectives.

The successful candidate will be expected to be part of an out of hours rota and handle some early morning ‘market sensitive’ announcements.

Your role:

Key responsibilities for this role are:

• To provide assured and effective media handling advice to colleagues across the CMA – both to promote the CMA’s work and respond to media queries or agendas.
• To produce high quality press products (press releases, Q&As, communication plans and reactive statements) which achieve their goal and appeal to the right audience (internal and external).
• To understand and appropriately identify audiences for individual projects and then advise on communicating with them effectively, thinking about communications in the round, not just press.
• To accurately predict media agendas and respond to them effectively - acting as an authoritative, accurate spokesperson.
• To evaluate communications work and use that insight to inform and influence future work.
• To build strong relationships with key CMA colleagues, media and other stakeholders relevant to the role, ensuring the CMA’s work is clearly understood and represented.
• To play a role in the CMA’s out of hours duty rota and support its delivery of market sensitive announcements – this involves some work outside of core employment hours.

Person specification

The CMA is seeking to appoint the best qualified candidate for this role and welcomes applications from under-represented groups.

When completing your written application, please ensure you provide evidence and examples (as far as you are able), in response to the Essential Criteria below, and against which your application will be assessed.

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application.

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.

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience of working in a busy press office. (Lead criteria)
• Experience of working on tech-related projects, and/or having a strong interest in the sector, with a desire to learn more and get up to speed quickly. (Lead criteria)
• Proven experience of managing national, regional and trade media in proactive, reactive and crisis situations, spotting reputational difficulties and ensuring the organisation is adequately prepared to respond to them. (Lead criteria)
• Proven experience of writing accurate, engaging press products with clear and concise messaging, and tailoring this to suit different audiences.
• Demonstrable experience of writing and delivering effective communication plans that raise the profile of an organisation and its work.
• Evidence of building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and persuading other (often more senior) colleagues on communications issues.
• Ability to work independently and at pace, effectively managing work priorities to meet specified deadlines, even during busy periods.

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 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 about application requirements are listed on the application form.

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review), an assessment and an interview. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation.  Interviews will be conducted in-person in our London office.

The sift will take place between 27 February to 01st March 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. 

Interviews will be held week commencing 11 March 2024

The first part of the interview will be an in-tray exercise which will be held an hour before the interview, more details to be shared nearer the time. The second part of the interview will be a 1 hour panel interview where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience 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.