CMA1979 Director, Markets

This is a career defining opportunity to play a pivotal role at the forefront of some of the highest profile and challenging work that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has faced.

Join the CMA’s Markets Group where you will be central to our mission to ensure markets work well for consumers, businesses can innovate and thrive, and the economy can grow productively and sustainably.

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.

Our Markets function is a core part of the CMA’s work. We continue to use our powers to carry out market studies and investigations across a range of sectors, which continues to deliver real impact for people, as seen most recently in our work on Road Fuel, Housebuilding, Groceries and Veterinary Services.

What you will do

As Director of Markets, you will be responsible for the development and delivery of major, high quality markets projects that lead to effective outcomes to benefit consumers.

You will lead teams consisting of economists, financial advisers and lawyers to deliver high-quality market investigations, market studies or policy projects, setting the strategic direction for all work conducted across the CMA’s portfolio.

The role involves a significant amount of external representation to a wide range of audiences, including competition professionals, politicians, stakeholder groups and the public. It can also involve media appearances.

The role also involves being a senior member of the CMA’s Markets leadership team, supporting staff development and promoting the culture of the team as an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and respectful treatment of staff.

What you will need

You will need demonstrable experience in leading, managing and delivering complex, multi-disciplinary projects, ideally in a competition, regulatory or related policy context.

A strong track record of making decisions, using sound analysis and judgement, and devising effective and innovative solutions to complex strategic issues is essential.

You will also need the demonstrable ability to take broad themes and scope them into projects with clearly defined plans that lead to high quality outputs.

Very high-level analytical skills, coupled with the ability to think flexibly and take on new information and new approaches are also essential.

A strong awareness of the policy-making environment, and experience of engaging and actively managing senior level internal and external stakeholders is equally important.

What we can offer you

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 with an average employer contribution of 27%, 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 our extensive 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 11 December 2023.

Key Responsibilities

• To lead teams to deliver high-quality market investigations, market studies or policy projects in a timely and effective manner, and which have maximal effect in improving the position of consumers.
• To lead multi-disciplinary teams of delivery professionals, economists, financial advisers and lawyers, working as appropriate with the Strategy, Comms and Advocacy and DaTa teams, setting the strategic direction and taking responsibility for delivery.
• To engage with senior leadership, including to agree the strategic direction of projects and communicate findings.
• To work across the CMA’s portfolio, including the possibility of deployment in another area of th CMA’s work, in response to business needs.
• To manage the risks of a challenging work programme in terms of delivery, reputation, and litigation.
• To lead and maintain open, professional and proactive engagement with key external partners including politicians and other policy-makers in Whitehall, regulators, consumer and business groups.
• To support the development of the portfolio of future projects, identifying and exploring priority areas for future work.
• To develop our people and to build capability within the CMA through coaching, learning, development, mentoring and performance management.
• To participate in an open and collegiate manner in the markets senior management team, as well as in the CMA’s senior leadership team.
• To represent the CMA’s work externally at conferences and seminars, and also in the media.
• To role-model the CMA’s values by promoting a culture that celebrates diversity and the respectful treatment of all colleagues.

• Demonstrable experience in leading, managing and delivering complex multi-disciplinary projects within defined resources and tight timescales, leading to high quality outcomes, ideally in competition, regulatory or related policy context. (Lead Criteria)
• A strong track record of taking decisions, using sound analysis and judgement taking account of the wider context, and of devising effective and innovative solutions to complex strategic issues. (Lead Criteria)
• Demonstrable ability to take broad themes and scope them into projects with clearly defined project plans leading to high quality outputs that meet expectations.
• Very high-level analytical skills, coupled with an ability to think flexibly taking on new information and new approaches as appropriate.
• Strong communication skills; both written and verbal, essential for a strong awareness of the policy-making environment, and experience of engaging and actively managing senior level internal and external stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Significant experience of managing the development of staff through coaching, mentoring and performance management.
• Strong commitment to creating an environment that celebrates diversity and promotes a culture of respect towards colleagues at all levels.

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

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 currently 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.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Job contact :

• Name : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk