CMA1991 – Lead Media Relations Officer

Are you interested in shaping national news agendas? Working on high profile cases that make a difference to people and that journalists want to write about? How about taking on our increasing portfolio across tech and major mergers?

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Media Relations Professional to play a leading role in the day-to-day running of the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) press office.

Join us at this exciting time, as we assume new responsibilities in the tech sector overseeing the most powerful digital firms. Our work makes headlines, and you’ll play an important part in ensuring that our role is clearly represented and understood in the media.

About the Competition and Markets Authority (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.

The role

Ideally, we are looking for someone with some experience of the tech sector and/or mergers. At the very least you must have a strong interest in the regulation of the most powerful tech firms and in the way the CMA enforces merger rules. Crucially you must also have the ability to communicate our work on this to the wider world.

You’ll be joining the CMA at an exciting time as Parliament is due to pass legislation that will give the CMA new responsibilities including establishing the Digital Markets Unit (DMU) – a new regulatory regime overseeing the most powerful digital firms. The CMA will be responsible for promoting greater competition and innovation in these markets and protecting consumers and businesses from unfair practices. 

The CMA already uses its current enforcement powers to promote competition in the tech sector, launching a review of AI foundation models and a market investigation into public cloud infrastructure. We have successfully secured improvements in the way Amazon and Meta treat their customers on their retail platforms and Google has agreed to remedy our concerns around third-party cookies in Chrome.

The CMA has also taken on new post Brexit responsibilities for investigating larger mergers, as illustrated by the recent Microsoft/Activison merger investigation.

As you can see, what we do makes headlines and matters to people’s daily lives and you can expect to join a busy and motivated team.

In this role, you will help manage the day to day running of the CMA’s press office, working closely with the Head of News, and directly managing your own team with responsibility for comms around the DMU and mergers.

You’ll need experience of working in a complex environment and juggling several different works streams at a time to deliver high impact media, including planning for and delivering major announcements with national print and broadcast elements, as well as reacting to media queries and protecting the CMA’s reputation.

Supporting the Deputy Head of News, you’ll stand in to run the news desk and wider CMA work when necessary, as well as helping to oversee the CMA’s out of hours media service, ensuring the CMA responds to issues rapidly in a 24 hour media cycle.

This is a great opportunity to work in a diverse, stimulating and rewarding environment, helping to deliver positive outcomes for people, businesses, and the UK economy. In turn, we offer generous benefits and provide the opportunity to stretch and develop your career in a friendly and supportive team.

What you will need

• Significant experience of handling national, regional and trade media in proactive, reactive and crisis situations, spotting reputational difficulties and ensuring the organisation is adequately prepared to respond to them. (Lead Criteria)
• Significant experience and evidence of developing relationships with internal and external stakeholders including journalists and commentators; with the ability to provide insight and persuade on communication issues. (Lead Criteria)
• Proven experience of managing and developing a team to ensure delivery of high-quality results. (Lead Criteria)
• Proven experience of producing high quality, engaging written work and turning complex technical information into clear and concise messaging.
• Significant experience of writing and delivering proactive communication plans that help to raise the profile of an organisation and promote the benefits of its work.
• Ability to work independently and at pace, effectively managing work priorities to meet specified deadlines.

What we can offer you

We recognise the value of work-life balance, offering hybrid working arrangements and flexible working options including part-time, compressed hours, and job share arrangements. You will be equipped with excellent technology tools and services that facilitate collaboration regardless of your location. Our modern, professional workplaces across the UK provide an exceptional working environment. Furthermore, we proactively promote mental and physical well-being through a diverse range of well-being initiatives, including an employee assistance programme and a supportive network of mental health first aiders. 

The CMA is a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. All CMA staff enjoy generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme, at least 25 days leave (increasing to 30 over five years), and generous maternity/paternity leave provision. You can also take advantage of interest-free season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme.

To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, please click on the APPLY button.

CMA – Working for the CMA , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Or our LinkedIn page:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/competition-and-markets-authority/

Your role:

Key responsibilities for this role are:

• To provide management and leadership of the CMA’s Digital Markets and mergers press team and oversee the work of the direct reports effectively in a way that enhances their performance and develops their potential.
• To provide high quality media handling advice to colleagues across the CMA and the implement that handling – both in terms of proactive work and responding effectively in reactive and crisis situations.
• To provide strategic planning of the CMA’s press outputs and work closely with colleagues in the Strategy, Communications and Advocacy Directorate to ensure an integrated communications approach across all channels. 
• To build effective relationships with key CMA colleagues, media and other stakeholders relevant to the role, ensuring the CMA’s work and role is clearly understood and represented.
• To generate high quality, creative content designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences, including written work.
• To accurately predict media agendas and respond to them effectively – acting as an authoritative, accurate spokesperson.
• To evaluate communications work effectively, using insight gained to inform and influence future work.
• To play a role in the CMA’s out of hours duty rota and support its delivery of market sensitive announcements – this involves some work outside of core employment hours.

The CMA is seeking to appoint the best qualified candidate for this role and welcomes applications from under-represented groups.

When completing your written application, please ensure you provide evidence and examples (as far as you are able), in response to the Essential Criteria below, and against which your application will be assessed.

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application.

If you do not meet the lead selection criteria in your application, the panel will not be required to score your application against the remaining essential criteria of the role.

Essential Criteria

• Significant experience of handling national, regional and trade media in proactive, reactive and crisis situations, spotting reputational difficulties and ensuring the organisation is adequately prepared to respond to them. (Lead Criteria)
• Significant experience and evidence of developing relationships with internal and external stakeholders including journalists and commentators; with the ability to provide insight and persuade on communication issues. (Lead Criteria)
• Proven experience of managing and developing a team to ensure delivery of high-quality results. (Lead Criteria)
• Proven experience of producing high quality, engaging written work and turning complex technical information into clear and concise messaging.
• Significant experience of writing and delivering proactive communication plans that help to raise the profile of an organisation and promote the benefits of its work.
• Ability to work independently and at pace, effectively managing work priorities to meet specified deadlines.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

As well as the interesting and varied work you’ll do to contribute to effective competition in the UK, and to ensure consumers get a good deal when buying goods and services, you’ll also benefit from:

• An exceptionally generous pension scheme with a significant employer contribution and range of options, including a tax-free lump sum at the point of retirement and injury, ill-health and life assurance benefits
• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years), plus 8 public holidays and an additional day off for the King’s birthday. In addition, you’ll be able to access a wide range of other types of leave as and when you need it, including generous maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption options, as well as paid special leave for volunteering
• Season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, flu vaccinations and eye tests
• Access to the Civil Service Sports & Leisure, giving discounted gym membership, high street discounts, free access to UK wide attractions and a free Tastecard
• A range of wellbeing benefits, including an employee assistance programme, flexible working options and family friendly policies, regular networking events and professional learning opportunities at work

Any move to the CMA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Like many other organisations, we operate a hybrid working model with a mix of office and home working. We believe this supports us to deliver our best work while allowing the flexibility to maintain balanced and healthy lives.

If you’re already a civil servant being appointed on level transfer, you’ll retain your existing terms, including annual leave. If you are being promoted you’ll receive either a 10% pay increase or the new grade minimum, whichever is the greater. Applicants new to the civil service can be considered for appointment at a salary higher than the starting point indicated above, but not more than the advertised mid-point, depending on skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications.

We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We want a diverse workforce that reflects the consumers we serve. We welcome applications from under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse people, people with a disability, people with diverse gender identities and from people of different ages. 

We are an accredited Disability Confident Employer and disabled applicants meeting the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.

Our Values

The CMA delivers impactful outcomes for people, business and the UK economy.​ We are Ambitious and Evidence-based, and always strive for Excellence.​ We treat everyone with Respect, and are Collaborative and Inclusive.​

Everything we do is underpinned by the Civil Service values: Honesty, Integrity, Impartiality and Objectivity.

Job contact :

• Name : Vidya Krishnamoorthy
• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
• Telephone : 020 3738 6399

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk