CMA2002 PA to the Deputy Chief Economic Adviser with Apprenticeship


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Details

Reference number

315124

Salary

£27,553 – £29,720
A
Civil Service Pension
with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job grade

Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Administration / Corporate Support
Secretarial

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

London (Canary Wharf)

Job summary

Are you a proactive and highly organised individual eager to take the next step in your career as a Personal Assistant? If you are passionate about delivering exceptional support, this is an outstanding opportunity to acquire new skills and elevate your career at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

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

As a Personal Assistant, your primary focus will be providing indispensable support to the Deputy Chief Economic Adviser. In this capacity, you will manage their schedule, oversee their inbox, coordinate travel arrangements, and offer vital assistance to our broader Economic Management Team.

Your role will extend to seamless collaboration within the wider Office of the Chief Economic Adviser and the CMA, ensuring the highest standards of service delivery in a professional and coordinated manner. Additionally, you will be entrusted with maintaining the comprehensive resourcing spreadsheet covering all OCEA staff.

As part of your professional development, you will have the opportunity to undertake a Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship. This qualification covers the essential skills and knowledge for thriving in a dynamic business environment.

What you will need

To excel in this role, proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Excel, is essential. Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills are equally vital, as is the ability to thrive under pressure. Familiarity with organisational document management systems and a strong commitment to handling confidential information responsibly will also be crucial.

What we can offer you

In return the CMA is a hugely diverse, rewarding and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. We offer 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, a cycle to work scheme, our employee assistance programme and flexible working options.

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/

Closing date for applications: 11:55pm on Monday 9 October 2023.

Job description


Personal Assistant for DCEA responsibilities include:

  • Provide administrative support to the DCEA in a professional, responsible and timely manner, including managing their inbox, tracking actions, prioritising enquiries and following up where required.
  • Manage the DCEA’s complex and fluid diary, show confidence in handling diary clashes and conflicts, and exercise sound judgement in prioritising appointments.
  • Plan and arrange meetings, implement and monitor completion of follow-up actions and ‘prompt’ for timely completion as appropriate.
  • Represent the DCEA’s office professionally and efficiently to all internal and external stakeholders, exercising appropriate discretion when required.
  • Book national and international travel and accommodation as required.
  • Support project delivery by collating, coordinating and printing information and meeting papers when required.

 Support across the wider Economic Management Team includes:

  • Plan and arrange meetings, implement and monitor completion of follow-up actions and ‘prompt’ for timely completion as appropriate.
  • Organise events and conferences of varying scales. 
  • Liaise with stakeholders to gather information when required.
  • Organise recruitment interview timetables for a variety of recruitment campaigns
  • Gathering information and updating the economic profession intranet site on a weekly basis and build pages when appropriate.
  • Site administrator duties as part of local economist libraries on SharePoint.

 Maintaining the project allocation tracker spreadsheet:

  • Maintain the spreadsheet, ensuring an accurate and up to date listing of project allocation activity
  • Provide project allocation information to the various internal stakeholders in a timely manner to ensure communication is clear.
  • Tracking all new joiners and leavers to OCEA
  • Track all line management decisions.

Person specification

 

  • A strong knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, particularly Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Excel (lead criteria).
  • Ability to work effectively and flexibly as part of a diverse team and where appropriate without close supervision, being responsible for own workload and supporting others in the delivery of work.(Lead criteria).
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with experience of contributing through working as part of a team and building relationships cross divisionally with internal and external stakeholders at varying levels of seniority, both verbally and in writing (lead criteria).
  • Proven experience of identifying opportunities for improvements and creating solutions for these.
  • Experience of working under pressure within challenging timeframes, whilst delivering results to high standards.
  • Ability to use organisational systems and procedures for document management, with an understanding of the importance of and risks associated with the improper use, handling and disclosure of confidential information.

Behaviours

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

Alongside your salary of £27,553, Competition & Markets Authority contributes
£7,439 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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. We work at least 40% of our time from our office locations across the UK.

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.

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 (CV & application review) and an interview. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation.  Interviews will be conducted ideally in-person at the CMA London office. 

An initial sift based on criteria 1, 2 and 3 (Lead Criteria) may be held if a large number of applications are received. If your application progresses to a full sift, all elements of the essential criteria listed under Person Specification (above, below and in the attached role profile) will then be considered.

  • A strong knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, particularly Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Excel (lead criteria).
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with experience of contributing through working as part of a team and building relationships cross divisionally with internal and external stakeholders at varying levels of seniority, both verbally and in writing (lead criteria).
  • Ability to work effectively and flexibly as part of a diverse team and where appropriate without close supervision, being responsible for own workload and supporting others in the delivery of work (lead criteria).
  • Proven experience of identifying opportunities for improvements and creating solutions for these.
  • Experience of working under pressure within challenging timeframes, whilst delivering results to high standards.
  • Ability to use organisational systems and procedures for document management, with an understanding of the importance of and risks associated with the improper use, handling and disclosure of confidential information.

The sift will take place week commencing w/c 9 October 2023.

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 23 October 2023.

The first part of the interview will comprise an in-tray exercise/technical test for which no preparation is required.  More information will be forwarded to you with the interview invite. The second part of the interview will be a 45 minute -1 hour panel interview where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours, and Experience as outlined in the role profile. 

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.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.
You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
  • Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
  • Telephone : 020 3738 6808

Recruitment team

  • Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk

Further information

If your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact Recruitment@cma.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

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