Assistant Director, Commercial

Job summary

The Commercial Function has a fundamental role in fulfilling the CMA organisation’s purpose. We procure goods and services in a legally compliant manner and ensure value for money, benefits and savings are delivered, all of which enable the CMA to deliver its overall business outputs for the public. We're looking for an Assistant Commercial Director to help lead innovative, efficient and effective commercial arrangements in an exciting and diverse environment with contracts ranging from £10,000 to over £2million in value.

About the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

The CMA is an independent non-ministerial UK government department and is the UK’s principal competition and consumer protection authority. We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour.

We provide the opportunity to work across all sectors of the UK economy, undertaking objective, evidence-based analysis that can have a direct and substantial impact on the economy and economic prosperity.

To find out more about life at the CMA, please review our candidate pack. The role profile is below.

Job description

As one of the Assistant Commercial Directors, you will lead innovative, efficient and effective commercial arrangements in an exciting and diverse environment. You will work collaboratively with our IT, Digital and Market Research colleagues to deliver a variety of goods and services in compliance with UK public procurement law (both Public Contract Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023), ensuring that CMA’s procurement activity meets the business needs and delivers value.

As a senior leader in the CMA’s Commercial Function, you will use your knowledge of the marketplace to maximise value and will manage our commercial portfolio in innovative ways, including leading complex change programmes and use of joint ventures, outsourcing or best-in class contracting approaches.

The role holder will be responsible for:

• Developing, leading and managing a strong commercial team, exhibiting standards of excellence whilst providing a flexible, responsive and high performing service.
• Taking a key role in developing and implementing the delivery of future Business Process and System Improvements (BPSI) including a new ERP system and targeted improvements to eProcurement, such as Source to Contract (S2C) services.
• Being accountable for the efficient, assured and compliant delivery of all new commercial arrangements, working with other functions and stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes.

To find out more about the 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. 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:

• A proven track record as a senior commercial professional with extensive experience of end to end sourcing, contract management, category management and supplier relationship management, including in the areas of technology and property. (Lead Criteria)
• Ability to provide strong and inspirational leadership to build teams, deliver results, recognise outstanding performance and deal effectively with under performance.(Lead Criteria)
• Able to scope, plan and ensure the delivery of commercial strategies and write concise commercial policies and procedures, which set direction aligned to strategic organisation objectives
• Excellent business acumen with the ability to analyse complex business problems and apply evidence-based thinking to strategic and operational decision-making whilst delivering value-for-money results.
• Excellent communication skills – both written and oral - with the ability to deal collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, lead challenging negotiations, and an expert in dealing with multiple priorities and the resilience to thrive under pressure.
• Experience developing and implementing Category Management Strategies, optimising procurement and leveraging key supplier relationships.
• Experience delivering commercial transformation and major organisational change and experience of working in an IT Category or environment.

Qualifications

i. Government Commercial Organisation accreditation, or confirmation of a willingness to work to achieve such accreditation.
ii. Professionally qualified as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS)

Memberships

Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (MCIPS)

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Judgement and Leadership
• Expertise - Procurement Process and Contract & Supplier Management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £76,400, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £22,133 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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 Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application and sift stage

• 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), presentation and an interview. Arrangements for the presentation and interview will be enclosed in the invitation.
• Please note that it is essential that your personal statement is aligned to provide evidence that you have the knowledge and experience for each of the essential criteria (as included on the role profile attached and listed above under 'Person Specification') in your application. Your personal statement should be no more than 1250 words.
• An initial sift based on the first two criteria points (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 will then be considered. 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.
• We may raise the score required at sift stage to progress to interview if we receive a high number of applications and take through the highest performing candidates to the interview stage.
• Successful candidates at sift will be invited to an interview which will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Interview stage

• At the CMA we apply a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you and we use the Success Profiles framework assessing the Behaviours, Technical Skill, and experience outlined in the advert and attached role profile.
• The first part of the interview will comprise of a pre-interview task, based on the technical skill, details of which you will sent with your interview invitation.
• The second part of the interview will be a 45 minute-one hour panel interview where you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience skills (essential criteria) outlined in the role profile.

• A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Timeline (the dates outlined below are indicative and may be subject to change)

• The advert closing date is 5 May 2026 (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 6th and 8th May 2026.
• Interviews will be held from the week commencing 18th May 2026. Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams.

Reasonable adjustments

Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments to provide you with the opportunity and support to bring your best self to the recruitment process. This could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments, or receiving interview questions in advance. We will be happy to discuss any person-centred adjustments you’d like us to make to the process and you can contact us by emailing our dedicated mailbox at adjustments@cma.gov.uk.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : Marc Batt
• 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.

Attachments

Assistant Director Commercial Role Profile April 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 147kB)