About the job

Job summary

As an Economics Adviser, you will join a strong, diverse team of economists, working in a collaborative, collegiate atmosphere to provide and manage economic input into a diverse range of cases. This includes investigations into mergers and markets, competition and consumer enforcement, regulatory appeals, as well as the work of CMA’s Office of the Internal Market and Subsidy Advice Unit. It is also expected that the government will soon provide the CMA with powers to implement a new pro-competitive digital markets regime. Consequently, you will be joining the CMA at an exciting time when the first investigations under the UK’s new digital markets regime will be launched.

In addition to this campaign, the CMA is also relaunching an economist returners programme, aimed at recruiting Economics Advisers among professionals who have taken a career break – of three years or more – from working as a professional economist. This opportunity is being advertised separately and can be found on Civil Service Jobs CMA2081 Economic Adviser (Returner Programme) - Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK

Job description

About the CMA

At a time when the UK economy faces unprecedented challenges including the rising cost of living, it is vital the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is able to provide high-quality economic analysis to inform effective interventions in markets, influence policies and protect both consumers and businesses.

At the CMA, economics is at the heart of everything we do. We tackle high-profile cases and offer intellectual leadership in how to analyse potential harm to competition and champion the consumer. Recent cases in which economists played a critical role include the Microsoft/Activision and Adobe/Figma merger inquiries and the housebuilding and road fuels market studies.

What you will do

With the opportunity to work flexibly across the full range of our projects, or to specialise in certain areas, you will be the lead economist on some cases, or lead on a particular area of analysis in more complex cases. You will be responsible for carrying out and/or supervising economic analysis relevant to the project, including presenting results and providing economic advice to colleagues across different professions and decision makers. You will have opportunities to manage and develop others, and to contribute to the development of the CMA’s economics capability. You will be working in a stimulating environment with autonomy, responsibility, and direct access to key decision makers. We are an international team; our economists have a range of backgrounds and nationalities.

We are looking for economists with practical work experience in applying microeconomic analysis to real world problems. While a good understanding of competition and/or regulatory economics would be an advantage, it is not essential and the CMA prides itself on ensuring that staff can grow and develop their skills. Since economics is at the heart of everything the CMA does, you must also be able to write clearly and to present economic concepts to non-technical audiences in a way that engages, informs and drives decision-making.

What we can offer you

As well as being a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating place to work, you will have an opportunity to work for the public good while stretching and developing yourself in doing so. If you’re looking for a role that combines intellectual challenge with excellent opportunities for career development, we’d like to hear from you.

We offer generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme, at least 25 days’ leave (increasing to 30 over five years), and generous maternity/paternity leave provision. The CMA supports flexible working, for example ensuring that staff working on a part-time basis can work on the full range of CMA projects. You can also take advantage of interest-free season ticket loans, a cycle to work scheme and our employee well-assistance programme.

The CMA, like many other organisations, operates a hybrid working model with a mix of office and home working. We believe this supports us to deliver our best work while allowing the flexibility to maintain balanced and healthy lives. We are looking for applicants to be based in our Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London or Manchester offices. CMA staff in all of our offices work together in an integrated way across the full range of projects. The CMA also supports staff wishing to travel between offices to work with their colleagues in-person.

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

Please visit our economist LinkedIn page. Please also have a read of our blog to learn more about being an Economist at the CMA.

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 Tuesday 9th April 2024.

Please note that for exceptional international candidates, we may be able to sponsor your right to work in the UK, subject to your eligibility to work for the Civil Service. Sponsorship will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Person specification

Key responsibilities will include the following:

• Working with Assistant Directors, determine the key areas for investigation and the economic analysis required to assess them. Develop the key questions which will inform the direction of the project; decide on and gather appropriate evidence (including drafting information requests and survey questionnaires); and identify how the economic analysis contributes to the overall assessment and approach to be taken in a project.
• Plan and manage the delivery of the economic analysis on projects or workstreams. Detail the economic analysis to be undertaken and agree timetables for delivery; monitor progress and review the work plan as the case develops; and ensure that the economic analysis is delivered on time.
• Ensure that the economic analysis is delivered to a high standard. Critically assess and interpret the evidence available and the weight that can be attached to it; identify economic risks and propose mitigations for them; present analysis clearly and accurately both orally and in writing (in particular by drafting sections of published reports); and review and provide constructive feedback on work produced by colleagues.
• Communicate effectively with the project team, with others across the CMA (including senior management) and external stakeholders (including parties to the investigation/inquiry, government departments and consumer groups). Ensure that managers are kept abreast of relevant analysis and their attention is drawn to matters in which they would want to be informed/ involved; and establish effective working relationships with other staff and parties and their advisers.
• Management responsibilities for one or more Assistant Economists or Economic Interns, including supervising their work, coaching, and providing advice and supporting their development.
• Contribute to the development of the CMA’s economics capability, through knowledge sharing, providing peer review of others’ work and/or input to the policies and procedures of the CMA, representing the CMA at public events including conferences, and contributing to the recruitment of Assistant Economists.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,100, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £15,957 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) and an interview. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation sent when you schedule your interview slot.

Interviews will be held face-to-face at the CMAs offices in London, Edinburgh and (upon request) Manchester. If you are unable to attend in-person, a virtual interview via MS Teams can be made available on request, however we would like to signal a preference for an in-person interview where possible.

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) A 2:1 undergraduate degree in economics or a post-graduate degree in economics, with a strong microeconomics and/or quantitative focus (lead selection criteria).

2) Experience in applying micro economic analysis to real world problems, preferably in the economic analysis and regulation of markets (although not essential) (lead selection criteria).

3) Experience of the design, development, management, and timely delivery of economic analysis.

4) Ability to communicate and present technical economic analysis to non-technical audiences, both orally and in writing.

5) Experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams and forming and developing relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external.

6) Ability to manage others’ work and support their development.

The sifting dates are Wednesday 10th - 16th 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 start from the 24th April 2024.

You will be asked to complete a written task ahead of the interview, details will be shared at the time of invite to interview. You will also be asked to prepare a short presentation, the topic for this will also be sent at the time of the invite to interview. You will then start your Panel interview. The panel interview will be approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour in length where you will be asked questions based on Behaviours, Technical skills and Experience outlined in the role profile.

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.