About the job

Job summary

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK's independent authority responsible for promoting competition and protecting consumers' interests. With a focus on ensuring fair and efficient markets, the CMA plays a vital role in driving economic growth and safeguarding consumer welfare.

The CMA has an exciting opportunity for an Events Manager to join the Events Team in the Strategy, Communications and Advocacy directorate.

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.

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

Job description

The CMA will host the International Competition Network (ICN) Annual Conference in Spring 2025. The event will be held over the course of 3 days, in Edinburgh, from 7-9 May 2025, and over 600 people are expected to attend in-person. Attendees will include a mix of officials from overseas national competition authorities, specialist press, academics, and non-government advisors (NGAs).  

Some of your key responsibilities will include:

• Day to day contract and budget management for agreed external suppliers providing services and ensuring that the project is delivered on time and for the best value for money. 
• Coordination of the suppliers to ensure they are working collaboratively towards the same goal and that the needs of The CMA are factored into the overall conference design.
• Regular oral and written communications to senior managers and leaders on progress of the events with updates on budgets, timelines and change controls.
• Helping to build and lead a high performing, inclusive team through inspiring, strong and visible leadership. Responsible for the performance management and outputs of the team.
• Actively liaising with internal and external stakeholders including international organisations, overseas national competition authorities, new and existing external CMA suppliers, to develop and finalise activities for the ICN Conference and instructing your team as appropriate.
• Developing and maintaining a detailed project plan and timeline for all events and engagements, liaising with senior executives and their teams on event timings as required.

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:

• Strong experience of planning and delivery of large-scale external events with immovable deadlines (lead criteria).
• Experience of managing budget and reporting spend with financial analysis of events delivery and demonstrating value for money (lead criteria).
• Ability to demonstrate being a self-starter with the flexibility to deliver in a fast-paced project environment, inspiring others to adopt a proactive approach. 
• Excellent people management skills, with experience of leading others through complex and challenging delivery. 
• Demonstrable experience of establishing and managing relationships with a range of stakeholders both internally and externally. 
• Demonstrable skills and experience in delivering project outcomes, including identifying risks, problem solving, and recommending a preferred course of action. 

It is desirable that you can provide evidence and examples for the following selection criteria in your application: 

• Previous experience of organising large-scale international conferences. 
• Previous experience of delivering events in the public sector. 
• Knowledge of the CMA and/or public service. 
• A recognised qualification in event management – Desirable 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,100, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £15,417 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.

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review) and interview.

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.

The sifting dates are 21 May through to 28 May

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend an interview.

This will be a 45-60 minute panel interview, where you will be asked behaviour-based questions based on the behaviours and experience specified in the role profile.

Interviews will be held on MS Teams.

You will also be asked to either prepare a presentation to deliver at the start of the panel interview or undertake a work based task in advance of your 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 4 June through to Friday 7 June 

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

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.