About the job

Job summary

At a transformative time for the CMA, we are looking for a Director of Mergers who is passionate about promoting competition for the benefit of UK consumers and businesses. Our team's expertise is the foundation of our success, and we are committed to an environment where your skills can thrive.

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.

We are fully committed to being a flexible, respectful and inclusive employer. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we welcome applications from under-represented groups.

You can read more about working at the CMA in our candidate pack

Job description

The Director of Mergers plays a crucial role in overseeing the delivery of the CMA’s merger control portfolio, characterised by high-quality, robust, and efficient outcomes. You will be at the forefront of managing high-profile cases, engaging extensively with major UK companies and their advisors, and significantly contributing to the shaping of merger control policies and strategic decision-making within the mergers domain.

Directing multi-disciplinary teams, you will set priorities and foster a collaborative and high-performing culture. Your role also includes providing strategic guidance on merger control, competition law, policy, and economics, while engaging with key external partners and representing the CMA at national and international forums.

The work of a Director of Mergers is high profile and is varied and intellectually stimulating, frequently raising novel procedural and substantive challenges. The mix of phase 1 and 2 cases, alongside policy work and representing the CMA at conferences and in the international arena, mean that there is always a new challenge to tackle and a new area to learn about.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application. For tips on how to make the most your application, please have a look at our guidance document.

Essential: 

• A strong track record in delivering merger control, competition, markets or regulatory cases and advice;
• Substantial experience of leading, managing and delivering complex projects within defined resources and tight timescales and providing high quality advice and demonstrable expertise;
• Experience of taking decisions, using sound analysis and judgement and taking account of the wider context, and of devising effective solutions to complex and strategic issues;
• Significant experience of leading and motivating professional teams in the delivery of high quality, timely outcomes and experience of inspiring, motivating and developing capability both in direct members of staff and others, with a strong track record of developing people and supporting diversity and inclusion;
• Experience of building strong relationships and working effectively with internal and external stakeholders to deliver high quality outcomes;
• Excellent communication, engagement and representation skills (both oral and written) as well as demonstrable experience of negotiating and exerting influence with senior decision makers who may have differing objectives.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £96,923, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £26,169 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, 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 about application requirements are listed on the application form.

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review), an Individual Leadership Assessment and an interview, which includes a written technical exercise and presentation.

Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to provide evidence that you have the knowledge and experience for each of the essential selection criteria (as included on the role profile attached and listed above under 'Person Specification') in your application.

The closing date for applications is 10 June 2024 (11.55pm). 

We cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date and time.

The shortlist meeting is scheduled for w/c 10 June 2024

Successful candidates at the shortlisting stage will be asked to participate in an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) which is a one-to-one psychological assessment of candidates in recruitment and selection for Senior Civil Service (SCS) roles. Candidates will complete a range of questionnaires on-line, the outputs of which are explored during a structured interview of approximately 1-2 hours with an assessor.  The ILA must occur prior to interviews taking place. The assessment does not lead to a pass or fail decision; rather, it is intended to highlight areas of strength and possible concerns which the panel can probe at interview. The ILA Assessments have been scheduled to take place from 18 June to 02 July 2024.

(Please note that where an individual has been assessed for an individual leadership assessment via Civil Service Resourcing and applies for another SCS post at the same pay band within a two year period, it is now policy to automatically re-use the original report).

Interviews are planned to take place from 04 July onwards.  Those invited to interview will be asked to complete a written technical exercise and prepare a short presentation, details of which will be provided in advance of the interview.

The interview will be a 1 hour panel interview where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours, Technical and Experience elements outlined in the role profile.

Interviews will take place in the London CMA office or via MS teams.

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be 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.  You can also email recruitment@cma.gov.uk.

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.