Skip to main content
GOV.UKCMA1652 Economics Director
Competition & Markets Authority
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 23rd May 2022
Details
Reference number
205358
Salary
£91,754 - £105,000
GBP
Grade
SCS Pay Band 1
Contract type
Permanent
Type of role
Analytical
Economist
Operational Delivery
Project Delivery
Senior leadership
Economist
Operational Delivery
Project Delivery
Senior leadership
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time
Number of posts
1
Contents
Location
Belfast, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Manchester
About the job
Summary
This is an opportunity to play a critical role helping the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to respond to the challenges arising from the UK’s exit from the EU.
If you are an economist with significant casework experience in enforcement, merger review, market studies and investigations, or have experience in applying empirical industrial organisation, and want to work in a fast-changing and challenging environment, working for the public interest, this could be the ideal role for you.
If you are an economist with significant casework experience in enforcement, merger review, market studies and investigations, or have experience in applying empirical industrial organisation, and want to work in a fast-changing and challenging environment, working for the public interest, this could be the ideal role for you.
Job description
The CMA is the UK’s National Competition Authority and an independent non-ministerial department. Our staff is situated mainly in central London, but we have a growing presence in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and will soon be opening new offices in Manchester and Darlington.
The CMA has an exciting and challenging agenda – to contribute to faster economic growth, deliver positive competition outcomes and make markets work well for consumers, businesses and the economy.
The role:
The CMA are seeking an Economics Director to play pivotal role in achieving the CMA’s mission by bringing leadership and vision to the economist team and ensuring the delivery of high-quality economic analysis across the CMA’s case work, working closely and collaboratively with project teams.
You will also play a key role in developing and expanding our team, including through increasing our outreach in the Devolved Nations.
Key responsibilities will include:
• Ensuring the quality of economics work on cases across the range of the CMA’s work
• Leading, challenging and reviewing the work of case teams and ensuring the effective and robust delivery of economic analysis on CMA cases
• Providing strategic direction, advice and quality assurance to economists on inquiries, including participating directly in more complex inquiries
• Supporting the Chief Economic Adviser in providing professional leadership for economics work at the CMA and ensuring that the economic work is of consistently high quality
• Shared responsibility for managing and developing economists, driving forward talent management, and improving staff capability through recruitment, coaching, mentoring and staff and work management
• Ensuring that a “culture of economics” is developed and maintained, in which economists share information on cases, provide analytical support to each other, cascade development ideas and feel part of a professional grouping in the CMA
• Line management responsibility for a number of Assistant Economic Directors, setting clear expectations of them to help in leading and managing economists in case teams
The CMA is seeking to appoint the best qualified candidate for this role and welcomes applications from under-represented groups.
Suitable candidates will need:
• A Masters degree or Doctorate in Economics
• A proven track record of providing high quality economic advice across several relevant cases, studies and enquiries simultaneously
• Excellent knowledge and experience of competition economics and understanding of current competition, consumer and regulatory issues
• Senior level experience of leading and delivering complex projects involving technical economic analysis
• Experience of effective leadership with demonstrable ability to manage and develop high-calibre economists and work effectively with other professional groups
You will also represent CMA economists and economics externally and be an active member of the CMA’s Leadership Team by working corporately and collegiately across the CMA.
The CMA prides itself on being a great place to work and strives to ensure that staff can grow and develop their skills. As well as being in a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating environment, you will have an opportunity to work for the public good whilst stretching and developing yourself in doing so.
The CMA has an exciting and challenging agenda – to contribute to faster economic growth, deliver positive competition outcomes and make markets work well for consumers, businesses and the economy.
The role:
The CMA are seeking an Economics Director to play pivotal role in achieving the CMA’s mission by bringing leadership and vision to the economist team and ensuring the delivery of high-quality economic analysis across the CMA’s case work, working closely and collaboratively with project teams.
You will also play a key role in developing and expanding our team, including through increasing our outreach in the Devolved Nations.
Key responsibilities will include:
• Ensuring the quality of economics work on cases across the range of the CMA’s work
• Leading, challenging and reviewing the work of case teams and ensuring the effective and robust delivery of economic analysis on CMA cases
• Providing strategic direction, advice and quality assurance to economists on inquiries, including participating directly in more complex inquiries
• Supporting the Chief Economic Adviser in providing professional leadership for economics work at the CMA and ensuring that the economic work is of consistently high quality
• Shared responsibility for managing and developing economists, driving forward talent management, and improving staff capability through recruitment, coaching, mentoring and staff and work management
• Ensuring that a “culture of economics” is developed and maintained, in which economists share information on cases, provide analytical support to each other, cascade development ideas and feel part of a professional grouping in the CMA
• Line management responsibility for a number of Assistant Economic Directors, setting clear expectations of them to help in leading and managing economists in case teams
The CMA is seeking to appoint the best qualified candidate for this role and welcomes applications from under-represented groups.
Suitable candidates will need:
• A Masters degree or Doctorate in Economics
• A proven track record of providing high quality economic advice across several relevant cases, studies and enquiries simultaneously
• Excellent knowledge and experience of competition economics and understanding of current competition, consumer and regulatory issues
• Senior level experience of leading and delivering complex projects involving technical economic analysis
• Experience of effective leadership with demonstrable ability to manage and develop high-calibre economists and work effectively with other professional groups
You will also represent CMA economists and economics externally and be an active member of the CMA’s Leadership Team by working corporately and collegiately across the CMA.
The CMA prides itself on being a great place to work and strives to ensure that staff can grow and develop their skills. As well as being in a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating environment, you will have an opportunity to work for the public good whilst stretching and developing yourself in doing so.
Responsibilities
• To be accountable for the quality of economics work on cases across the range of the CMA’s work through leading, challenging and reviewing the work of the case teams and to ensure the effective and robust delivery of economic analysis on CMA cases.
• To provide strategic direction, advice and quality assurance to economists on inquiries, including participating directly in more complex inquiries.
• Alongside other Economics Directors, to support the Chief Economic Adviser in providing professional leadership for economics work at the CMA and ensuring that the economic work is of consistently high quality, represents state-of-the-art thinking and is appropriately communicated to specialist and other audiences.
• To be a key member of the OCEA’s Leadership Team with shared responsibility for managing and developing economists, driving forward talent management, and improving staff capability through recruitment, coaching, mentoring and staff and work management.
• To ensure that a “culture of economics” is developed and maintained, in which economists share information on cases, provide analytical support to each other, cascade development ideas and feel part of a professional grouping in the CMA.
• To have direct line management responsibility for a number of Grade 6 Assistant Economic Directors, setting clear expectations of them to help in leading and managing economists in case teams.
• To work with the OCEA’s Leadership team to ensure the effective allocation of economic work across economists to ensure effective delivery but also to provide stretch opportunities for economists.
• To represent the CMA effectively in front of external parties by communicating the CMA’s views and work clearly and compellingly, and building relationships of influence with stakeholders.
• To provide strategic direction, advice and quality assurance to economists on inquiries, including participating directly in more complex inquiries.
• Alongside other Economics Directors, to support the Chief Economic Adviser in providing professional leadership for economics work at the CMA and ensuring that the economic work is of consistently high quality, represents state-of-the-art thinking and is appropriately communicated to specialist and other audiences.
• To be a key member of the OCEA’s Leadership Team with shared responsibility for managing and developing economists, driving forward talent management, and improving staff capability through recruitment, coaching, mentoring and staff and work management.
• To ensure that a “culture of economics” is developed and maintained, in which economists share information on cases, provide analytical support to each other, cascade development ideas and feel part of a professional grouping in the CMA.
• To have direct line management responsibility for a number of Grade 6 Assistant Economic Directors, setting clear expectations of them to help in leading and managing economists in case teams.
• To work with the OCEA’s Leadership team to ensure the effective allocation of economic work across economists to ensure effective delivery but also to provide stretch opportunities for economists.
• To represent the CMA effectively in front of external parties by communicating the CMA’s views and work clearly and compellingly, and building relationships of influence with stakeholders.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Competition economics and understanding of current competition, consumer and regulatory issues
Benefits
All CMA employees enjoy the following benefits package:
• An excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years)
• Favourable consideration of flexible working
• Generous maternity/paternity leave provision
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• A supportive employee assistance programme
• Cycle to work scheme
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/.”
If you’re already a civil servant being appointed on level transfer, you’ll retain your existing terms, including annual leave. Where you are being promoted, however, you’ll receive the greater of a 10% pay increase or the new grade minimum. Applicants new to the civil service may 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.
During the Covid-19 pandemic period, CMA staff have been required to work from home to continue delivering our objectives. The CMA, like many other organisations, will move to 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. Our staff work at least 50% of their time from their office location.
The CMA are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible and we welcome applications from under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse people, people with a disability, and people with diverse gender identities.
The CMA is an accredited Disability Confident Employer and are Stonewall Diversity Champions. Disabled applicants meeting the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.
• An excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years)
• Favourable consideration of flexible working
• Generous maternity/paternity leave provision
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• A supportive employee assistance programme
• Cycle to work scheme
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/.”
If you’re already a civil servant being appointed on level transfer, you’ll retain your existing terms, including annual leave. Where you are being promoted, however, you’ll receive the greater of a 10% pay increase or the new grade minimum. Applicants new to the civil service may 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.
During the Covid-19 pandemic period, CMA staff have been required to work from home to continue delivering our objectives. The CMA, like many other organisations, will move to 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. Our staff work at least 50% of their time from their office location.
The CMA are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible and we welcome applications from under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse people, people with a disability, and people with diverse gender identities.
The CMA is an accredited Disability Confident Employer and are Stonewall Diversity Champions. Disabled applicants meeting the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.
Things you need to know
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.See our vetting charter.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.
For full details, you can review the attached candidate pack.
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 what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to the role profile and provide evidence that you have the knowledge and recent practical experience for each of the following selection criteria in your application:
1) Masters degree or doctorate in economics;
2) A proven strong track record of providing high quality economic advice across several relevant cases, studies and enquiries simultaneously;
3) Evidence of an excellent knowledge and experience of competition economics and understanding of current competition, consumer and regulatory issues;
4) Senior level experience of leading and delivering complex projects involving technical economic analysis, within defined resources and tight timescales;
5) Experience of effective leadership and strong team working skills with demonstrable ability to manage and develop high-calibre economists and work effectively with other professional groups;
6) Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate and explain complex issues with clarity, simplicity and precision to both specialist and non-specialist audiences both orally and in writing;
7) Evidence of excellent interpersonal and representation skills and experience of negotiating and exerting influence with senior decision makers.
8) A commitment to creating an environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion and promotes a culture of respect towards colleagues at all levels.
The role closes 11.55pm on Monday 23rd May 2022.
The shortlist meeting is scheduled during the week of the 23rd May 2022.
Successful candidates at the shortlisting stage will be asked to participate in an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) which is a one-to-one psychological assessment of candidates in recruitment and selection for Senior Civil Service (SCS) roles. Candidates will complete a range of questionnaires on-line, the outputs of which are explored during a structured interview of approximately 1-2 hours with an assessor. The ILA must occur prior to interviews taking place. The assessment does not lead to a pass or fail decision; rather, it is intended to highlight areas of strength and possible concerns which the panel can probe at interview. The ILA Assessments have been scheduled to take place from 30th May - 10th June 2022.
(Please note that where an individual has been assessed for an individual leadership assessment via Civil Service Resourcing and applies for another SCS post at the same pay band within a two year period, it is now policy to automatically re-use the original report).
Interviews are planned to take place from the week beginning 13th June and possibly into the week beginning 20th June 2022. The interviews will either be virtually via Microsoft Teams or face-to-face in a CMA office. Our preference will be face-to-face interviews, this will be communicated and confirmed to you if you are invited to interview.
Those invited to interview will be asked to prepare a presentation based on a topic/case study provided in advance of the interview.
Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. If you are unable to meet these time frames, please let us know in your application.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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 what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to the role profile and provide evidence that you have the knowledge and recent practical experience for each of the following selection criteria in your application:
1) Masters degree or doctorate in economics;
2) A proven strong track record of providing high quality economic advice across several relevant cases, studies and enquiries simultaneously;
3) Evidence of an excellent knowledge and experience of competition economics and understanding of current competition, consumer and regulatory issues;
4) Senior level experience of leading and delivering complex projects involving technical economic analysis, within defined resources and tight timescales;
5) Experience of effective leadership and strong team working skills with demonstrable ability to manage and develop high-calibre economists and work effectively with other professional groups;
6) Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate and explain complex issues with clarity, simplicity and precision to both specialist and non-specialist audiences both orally and in writing;
7) Evidence of excellent interpersonal and representation skills and experience of negotiating and exerting influence with senior decision makers.
8) A commitment to creating an environment that celebrates diversity and inclusion and promotes a culture of respect towards colleagues at all levels.
The role closes 11.55pm on Monday 23rd May 2022.
The shortlist meeting is scheduled during the week of the 23rd May 2022.
Successful candidates at the shortlisting stage will be asked to participate in an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) which is a one-to-one psychological assessment of candidates in recruitment and selection for Senior Civil Service (SCS) roles. Candidates will complete a range of questionnaires on-line, the outputs of which are explored during a structured interview of approximately 1-2 hours with an assessor. The ILA must occur prior to interviews taking place. The assessment does not lead to a pass or fail decision; rather, it is intended to highlight areas of strength and possible concerns which the panel can probe at interview. The ILA Assessments have been scheduled to take place from 30th May - 10th June 2022.
(Please note that where an individual has been assessed for an individual leadership assessment via Civil Service Resourcing and applies for another SCS post at the same pay band within a two year period, it is now policy to automatically re-use the original report).
Interviews are planned to take place from the week beginning 13th June and possibly into the week beginning 20th June 2022. The interviews will either be virtually via Microsoft Teams or face-to-face in a CMA office. Our preference will be face-to-face interviews, this will be communicated and confirmed to you if you are invited to interview.
Those invited to interview will be asked to prepare a presentation based on a topic/case study provided in advance of the interview.
Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. If you are unable to meet these time frames, please let us know in your application.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
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.
Apply and further information
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 : Becky Smith
- Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
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.
