Assistant Director – Markets

Job summary

Do you want to tackle complex issues in markets across the UK economy, delivering savings for consumers and enabling business dynamism?

Can you lead an inclusive, multi-disciplinary team that delivers high-profile projects to ambitious timelines?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Assistant Director, Markets at the Competition and Markets Authority leads multi-disciplinary teams to improve market functioning and consumer outcomes through strategic policy and project delivery. This role drives high-profile projects, stakeholder engagement, and policy innovation across diverse market sectors.

About the CMA

The CMA is a world-leading competition authority at the forefront of tackling pressing public policy questions, including the regulation of the biggest digital markets. Our mission is to make markets work well in the interests of consumers, businesses, and the economy.

We are fully committed to being a flexible, respectful and inclusive employer. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we welcome applications from under-represented groups.

You can read more about working at the CMA in our candidate pack

Job description

As an Assistant Director in Markets your responsibilities include;

• Leading a delivery and engagement team (typically 3-7 people) and/or multi-disciplinary policy and analysis workstreams. This is part of a larger team (up to 40 people depending on the scale of the project), developing solutions to complex market issues, and managing project delivery with a focus on evidence-based analysis and risk management.
• Depending on the nature of specific markets projects, the role may involve leading substantive competition and/or consumer policy analysis and development, leading an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement, drafting high-quality reports, and overseeing project management and coordination functions that drive forward delivery.
• The role demands strong leadership, strategic policy skills, excellent communication, and stakeholder management capabilities, alongside supporting staff development and organizational culture.
• The position operates within a project-based resourcing model and requires navigating ambiguity to influence government policy and market regulation effectively.

For full role responsibilities, please review the attached role profile.

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 criteria:

The following x3 criteria are to be answered in your personal statement, and will be assessed at the sifting stage:

1) Strategic policy leadership through strong analytical and policy skills; navigating ambiguity, challenge and complexity in the policy-making process and developing solutions that improve outcomes for markets and/or consumers. (Lead criteria).

2) Leading teams to deliversuccessful projects at pace (or work streams within projects), working within challenging timescales, taking well-judged decisions, and taking responsibility for quality outcomes.

3) Skilled in building relationships with and influencing stakeholders - including using engagement to shape policy, challenge thinking, and build support for delivery. We would value skills and experience of influencing UK, devolved and/or local government stakeholders.

The following will be assessed at the interview:

• An excellent people manager, capable of motivating and developing colleagues to achieve their full potential and adapt to changing circumstances.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills - able to explain complex issues clearly, concisely and persuasively, including to senior audiences, businesses and the public, through effective drafting and presenting.

Desirable criteria (nice-to-have, not scored):

Experience related to competition, markets, regulatory policy, or in a related policy field would be highly desirable, but not essential. We are also interested in candidates who can learn quickly and apply strong policy, analytical and leadership skills to this area.

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Influencing UK, devolved and local government policy.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £84,800, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £24,566 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

You’ll also get:

• 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

You can read more about our benefits in our candidate pack.

Our Values

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.

You can read more about life at the CMA in our candidate pack.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using