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.

This exciting role sits at the nexus between policy development and economic analysis. You will have opportunities to apply your expertise and knowledge of economics and markets – and that of colleagues from across the CMA – to policy questions across the UK; and to play a critical role in delivering on the CMA’s Annual Plan commitment to advocate in the consumer interest on regulatory, policy and legislative matters.

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

Principal Advisers play a lead role in identifying opportunities to advise  government; in building trusted relationships with key officials; and in providing insightful, timely and analytically-robust advice on the effects of government policy on competition, consumers and markets.

Some of your key responsibilities will include:

• Use your understanding of economics and competition to lead the delivery of informal and formal advice, analysis, and support to government on the impact of current and future policy (including regulation, law and other interventions) on competition, consumers and markets.
• Develop and deliver effective plans to promote awareness among officials and elected representatives (in central, devolved and local governments) of how government action can affect competition and consumer outcomes, through a range of approaches, including: training, published guidance, submissions to government consultations and parliamentary inquiries.
• Support colleagues across the CMA to identify opportunities to advise government that might arise from their work; and assist them in devising strategies to manage associated risks and opportunities that come from engaging with government on policy questions.

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: 

• Demonstrable expertise in applying economic concepts to policy appraisal and evaluation. (Lead criteria)
• A strong understanding of government policy priorities, and of the processes by which policy and law is made and implemented and how it can affect market outcomes. (Lead criteria)
• Ability to acquire, at speed, a detailed knowledge of unfamiliar markets or policy areas.
• Ability to balance multiple competing and changing demands and make informed judgements on prioritisation.
• Experience in communicating and presenting complex material to a range of audiences, from non-technical to specialist, both orally and in writing.
• Experience of working collaboratively, building effective relationships with colleagues and senior decision makers, and delivering in partnership with other organisations or departments with related goals or responsibilities.
• Confidence and ability to use own initiative, and take well-judged decisions.

Professional qualifications and accreditations

• An undergraduate degree with at least 50% of the modules in economics; or a masters in economics; or demonstrable equivalent knowledge of competition economics acquired through professional experience. (Please note that this is also a lead criteria)

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 about application requirements 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. 

Please note that interviews will be held on Microsoft Teams, or in-person at a CMA office.

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 Tuesday 28th May 2024.

The sift will take place 29th May - 31st May 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 10th June. 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 be a written assessment, the topic of which will be sent to you at the start of the slot before the 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.  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.