About the job

Job summary

Are you a proactive and highly organised professional ready to take the next step in your career? If you excel at providing exceptional support, we have exciting opportunities for Executive Assistants to acquire new skills and develop their careers at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

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 two roles

Supporting either the Executive Director of Competition Enforcement or the Executive Director for Consumer Protection and Markets, our Executive Assistants’ core responsibilities are to provide autonomous, efficient, and responsive executive support, including diary and inbox management, and personal assistance.

Your role will be key in assisting the Executive Director with the management and prioritisation of their time and tasks, foreseeing potential problems and issues, conducting research and seeking solutions, reviewing documents and serving as the crucial link between the Executive Director and the wider organisation, as well as external stakeholders.

You will also work closely with other Executive Assistants across the CMA to organise, facilitate and support regular management and other cross-Directorate meetings.

To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA see our candidate pack, and the attached role profiles.

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.

1) Evidence of strong administrative and organisational skills, with experience of successfully prioritising multiple work tasks to meet strict deadlines (Lead Criteria).

2) Ability to work effectively as part of a team as well as without close supervision, being responsible for own workload and supporting others in the delivery of work (Lead Criteria).

3) Proficient with document production and document management in a timely and accurate manner, with the ability to pay strict attention to detail at all times, and excellent ICT capability and skills, particularly with Microsoft Office programmes.

4) Evidence of strong communication and influencing skills, with experience of representing organisations to external stakeholders and tailoring communications according to the needs of different audiences.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,550, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £9,868 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 two interviews.

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 Tuesday 14th - Wednesday 22nd May 2024.

This is a two (2) stage interview process:

-The 1st interview will be held Wednesday 29th - Friday 31st May & Monday 3rd June.

The 1st interview will be a panel interview of 3 people lasting 45-60-minutes in length, where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience outlined in the role profile. The x4 Behaviours being assessed at the 1st stage will be: 

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

1st interviews will be conducted in-person at the CMA office in Canary Wharf, London. Virtual interviews, via Microsoft Teams, can be discussed if attending in-person is not possible.

- The 2nd interview will be held Thursday 6th & Friday 7th June – a 20-minute interview via MS Teams with the Executive Directors, who the roles report to.

The x1 Behaviour being assessed at the 2nd stage will be: 

• Working Together

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.

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.