About the job

Job summary

Are you an experienced Personal Assistant with exceptional organisational skills?

Do you want to play a key role in a team where your support will help to benefit the public good and make a real impact on millions of people and businesses in the UK?

Join the Digital Markets Unit at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and contribute to our work to promote greater competition and innovation in digital markets.

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.

It is an exciting time to join the CMA’s Digital Markets Unit – we are passionate about what we do and offer a supportive environment, with opportunities to be involved in a wide range of interesting work.

The Digital Markets Unit (DMU) will host a drop-in session for prospective candidates interested in working for the CMA. Candidates are invited to join a virtual session where the team will explain the work of the DMU and you can hear from existing team members about their experiences. Recruiting managers will be available to answer any questions you may have about the vacancies.

We will run the session over Microsoft Teams from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm on 4 June 2024, to register your interest please visit - Live Q&A Event: working in the CMA’s Digital Markets Unit Tickets, Tue, Jun 4, 2024 at 5:30 PM , Eventbrite.

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

Job description

The successful candidate will work closely with key teams and stakeholders within the DMU as well as a range of colleagues across other areas of the CMA

Key responsibilities could include:Providing administrative support to DMU Directors and Senior Directors in a professional, responsible, and timely manner, including managing inboxes, tracking actions, prioritising enquiries, and following up where required.

• Managing complex and fluid diaries, show confidence in handling diary clashes and conflicts, and exercise sound judgement in prioritising appointments.
• Assisting with expenses and supplier invoicing, including raising purchase orders.
• Working closely with other Personal Assistants, Group Administrators and the Business Managers.
• Planning and arranging meetings, as well as monitoring completion of follow-up actions and ‘prompt’ for timely completion as appropriate.
• Representing the DMU professionally and efficiently to all internal and external stakeholders, exercising appropriate discretion when required.
• Booking national and international travel and accommodation as required.
• Collating, coordinating, and printing information and meeting papers when required.
• Planning and arranging meetings for the wider DMU, meeting and greeting visitors and circulating agendas.
• Contributing to the organisation of DMU wide events and conferences.
• Supporting future recruitment activity and the induction of new starters in the DMU. 

Person specification

• Demonstrable experience of excellent organisational skills working in an administrative support capacity, including prioritising a busy work schedule and working collegiately and flexibly in a team-focused environment (lead criteria).
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders and other stakeholders, being responsible for own workload and supporting others in the delivery of work.(lead criteria).
• Experience of working under pressure within challenging timeframes, whilst maintaining attention to detail.
• Proficient with a range of Microsoft applications (Outlook, Word, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams).
• Ability to use organisational systems and procedures for document management, including using sound judgement to manage sensitive information.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,550, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £7,978 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 (application review) and an interview which may include an assessment. 

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.

Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation. 

Please note that interviews will be held  virtually via Microsoft Teams.

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 following selection criteria (as included on the role profile and listed above under 'Person Specification') in your application.

The role will close 11:55pm Monday 10 June 2024

The sift will take place week commencing 17 June 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. You will be sent an email with full details of your arrangements for interview.

Interviews will be held week commencing 1 July 2024. There is 1 interview stage for this role.

The interview will be a 45-60 minute panel interview where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience outlined in the role profile.

The first part of interview will comprise of a presentation or written assessment, the topic of which will be shared with you should you be selected for an interview and advance preparation may be required.

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.