Business and Financial Intern

Job summary

The CMA's Strategic, Business and Financial Analysis (SBFA) team plays a vital role in providing commercial, strategic and financial expertise across some of the CMA's most important and high-profile investigations.

As a member of the team, you will have the opportunity to work with colleagues from different professions on live projects and investigations, building skills and experience in the research and analysis of financial and commercial information.

About the CMA

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK’s principal competition and consumer protection authority. We promote competition and protect consumers with a clear end goal in mind: to drive economic growth and improve household prosperity. The CMA has a range of powers, which it uses to undertake a wide variety of cutting-edge, high profile and complex work, spanning merger and market inquiries, competition and consumer law enforcement, our role in the digital markets competition regime, subsidy advice, and internal market advice.

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

Job description

As a Business and Financial Intern, you will work alongside experienced business and financial advisers and collaborate with colleagues from a range of professions, including economics, law, data science and technology. You will contribute to live projects and investigations, helping to analyse businesses, assess financial information, understand market dynamics and provide insights that inform important decisions affecting consumers and businesses across the UK.

You will develop practical experience in researching, analysing and interpreting financial and commercial information, while building your understanding of how competition and consumer protection policy is applied in real world markets. This is a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience of the work of the UK's competition authority and to see how business and financial analysis contributes to better outcomes for consumers, businesses and the wider economy.

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.

• A degree (or international equivalent) in a numerate subject, OR a relevant MSc, OR a relevant professional qualification (completed or in progress). (Lead criteria).
• Interest, understanding or knowledge of working with business and financial information, with examples of times you have demonstrated this in your studies, work experience, or other activities. (Lead criteria)
• Analysis and interpretation skills. Demonstrable experience of applying analytical methods, and understanding the implications any findings would have for a business, with strong digital literacy skills including MS Office Suite (particularly Excel) and/or financial analysis tools. (Lead criteria)
• Proven experience of working in a team environment. Experience of collaborating and building working relationships with others to deliver successful outcomes.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills. Experience of presenting to and engaging with others, with the ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,720, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £8,030 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.
• Access to our benefits platform which includes retail discounts, cycle to work scheme and payroll giving. Employees can also sign up for season ticket loans.
• 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, flu vaccinations and eye tests. We also have flexible working options and family friendly policies.

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 and Experience.

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 & personal statement review) and an interview which will include a presentation/case study exercise based on the lead criteria outlined in the Person Specification. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation.
• At the sift stage, your application (CV & personal statement) will be reviewed and assessed against the essential criteria listed under the Person Specification of the role profile.
• 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.
• Candidates will initially be sifted on the first three criteria points (Lead Criteria). If your application progresses to a full sift, all elements of the essential criteria listed under Person Specification will then be considered.
• 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 in-person at the CMA Head Office in Canary Wharf.

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 and Experience (essential criteria) listed in the advert and attached role profile.
• The interview will be a 45 minute -one hour panel interview in which you will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience outlined in the role profile.
• As part of the interview, candidates will be required to complete a presentation/case study exercise based on the Lead Criteria outlined in the person specification.
• A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
• Interviews will be conducted in-person at the CMA Head Office in Canary Wharf.

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

• The advert closing date is 20th July 2026 (23:55pm). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 21st - 24th July 2026
• Interviews will be held from the week commencing 3rd August 2026

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 : Tom Skidmore
• 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

Business and Financial Intern - Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 198kB)