Deputy Chief Operating Officer

Job summary

Joining the CMA in the newly created position of Deputy Chief Operating Officer (DCOO), you will play a pivotal role in the heart of the CMA’s Corporate Services function, modernising it for the future and providing crucial strategic leadership within the transformation journey.

About us

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.

Job description

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), you will play a critical role in strengthening organisational capability, by working with the COO to oversee the organisational transformation needed to implement the CMA’s new operating model in line with the CMA’s strategic ambition; in ensuring operational resilience; improving delivery performance; and supporting the COO in leading a diverse portfolio of corporate functions that underpin the CMA’s statutory mission.

The role provides strategic leadership across core operational services, ensuring they transform to be efficient, future focused and aligned with the CMA’s organisational strategy. The DCOO acts as a key adviser to senior leaders, contributes to high quality corporate governance, and deputises for the COO across internal and external engagements.

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead a diverse portfolio of corporate functions alongside the COO and provide strategic leadership across operational services through a key period of change.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and responses to the application questions that you give examples and demonstrate evidence of how you meet the following essential criteria:

Strategic transformation and change and operational expertise

Significant experience of leading corporate service functions such as (but not restricted to):

• Executive Office, Security and Property Transformation
• Commercial and Contract Management
• Finance, Risk and Business Reporting

and evidence of leading organisational transformation programmes in an of similar size, complexity or of a similar context to the CMA with an excellent understanding of good practice and proven expertise in delivering transformation change management.

Leadership & Strategic Impact

A proven strategic leader and trusted adviser able to operate effectively at Board level with experience delivering organisational wide operational or corporate services outcomes at scale within complex environments, in a sector or regulatory context or in a context that can be translated successfully to the CMA and a track record of improving delivery performance, operational processes, service quality and driving organisational resilience and change.

A track record of strong inclusive leadership skills, leading multi‑disciplinary teams across multiple and developing senior capability across diverse professional groups and promoting a strong culture of openness to challenge, collaboration and delivery to achieve robust and impactful outcomes.

Governance, Risk & Assurance

Strong demonstrable knowledge of corporate governance, organisational risk management and compliance frameworks, ensuring high standards of transparency, assurance and accountability. An appreciation of the governance context in which the CMA operates e.g. awareness of civil service or wider public sector governance and managing public money requirements, or other similar experience.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

Excellent communication, influencing and engagement skills, with a proven ability to understand and navigate the stakeholder landscape. You will be expected to represent the CMA in high profile forums and to develop effective relationships with both senior internal and external stakeholders as well as board peers to deliver organisational priorities.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £28,970 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.
• 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

For further information about the position, application process and timelines and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service, and how to apply, please review the candidate pack.

To apply for this post, you will need to the complete the application process no later than 23:55pm on 25th June 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete the following;

1. Upload a CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.

2. Answer the following questions within the application form, providing specific examples that demonstrate and evidence how you meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification for the role. Please limit your response to each question to 500 words maximum.

   1. Can you describe a major corporate services or organisational transformation programme you have led in a complex context or regulatory environment, and explain the strategic and operational impact you delivered?

   2. Can you provide an example of how you have led multidisciplinary teams and developed senior capability while fostering an inclusive culture of collaboration, challenge and delivery?

   3. Can you tell us about a time when you have led on governance, risk or assurance in a high-profile context?

3. A completed Diversity Questionnaire. We’re committed to implementing and monitoring our equality and diversity policies with the aim of recruiting, retaining and promoting staff regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation. You will be asked to complete the diversity questionnaire when you make your application via Civil Service Jobs.

Sift stage

You will receive email acknowledgment of your application through the online process.

The panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

At the shortlist meeting, those candidates who demonstrate strongest suitability will be shortlisted and invited to the interview stage.

The panel shortlist meeting will be held w/c 13th July 2026.

Interview stage

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which could include psychometric tests and a staff engagement exercise and you will have the opportunity to speak with the vacancy holder and another Executive prior to the final interview to learn more about the role and the organisation. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process.

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification noted above and included in the candidate pack and attached role profile.

Interviews will consist of questions in which candidates will be expected to build on the information provided in their CV and application questions. Candidates may be asked to complete an in-tray exercise or prepare a short presentation on a topic to be advised if/when invited to the interview stage. Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates.

Assessments will be held 20th - 31st July 2026.

Panel interviews will be held 12th and 13th August 2026. Interviews will be face-to-face at our London office at The Cabot in Canary Wharf. We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews.

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

Workplace 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.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 : CMA Recruitment
• Email : scsrecruitment@cma.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scsrecruitment@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

Role Profile - Deputy Chief Operating Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 115kB)