Director of Markets

Job summary

The CMA is a particularly exciting and interesting place to work right now, and the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act has given the CMA significant new responsibilities, through the UK’s new pro-competition digital markets regime, to promote greater competition and innovation in digital markets, in the interests of people, businesses and the economy. In this landscape, our Markets function remains at the core of our work as an agency, and as a Director in Markets, you will lead some of the highest profile and most challenging work in the organisation.

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 the role and about life at the CMA, please review our candidate pack.

Job description

As part of the broader team of markets’ directors, this role is responsible for the development and delivery of major high quality markets projects that lead to effective outcomes benefitting consumers, reporting to the Senior Directors of Markets. The role involves leading multidisciplinary teams to manage complex and high-profile projects.

The role involves a significant amount of external representation to a wide range of audiences, including competition professionals, politicians, stakeholder groups and the public. It can also involve media appearances.

About you

We are looking for candidates with experience in leading, managing and delivering complex multi-disciplinary projects within defined resources and tight timescales, leading to high quality outcomes, ideally in competition, regulatory or related policy context. You should be an inclusive leader with experience in managing and inspiring multi-disciplinary teams. Your ability to navigate times of uncertainty and change, and to promote a culture of respect, equality, diversity, and inclusion, will be vital. Strong strategic thinking and the ability to manage risks while maintaining awareness of the broader political and economic context are essential. You should also have significant experience in building strategic relationships with stakeholders and influencing the delivery of priorities.

To find out more, please review the role profile and candidate pack.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application.

An initial sift based may be held on the two criteria points listed as 'Lead Criteria', if a large number of applications are received.

• Significant experience in leading, managing and delivering complex multi-disciplinary projects within defined resources and tight timescales, leading to high quality outcomes, ideally in competition, regulatory or related policy context (lead criteria).
• A strong track record of taking decisions; using sound analysis and judgement taking account of the wider context, and of devising effective and innovative solutions to complex strategic issues (lead criteria).
• Strong leadership skills; with the ability to lead and empower intellectually strong project teams, gain their respect and achieve robust and impactful outcomes.
• Strong communication skills; both written and verbal, essential for a strong awareness of the policy-making environment, and experience of engaging and actively managing senior level internal and external stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Significant experience of managing the development of staff through coaching, mentoring and performance management.

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

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

• Competition, regulatory or related policy.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £104,365, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £30,234 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.

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 above.

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, Ability, 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), task and an interview. Arrangements for the task 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 two criteria points listed as '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 either in-person or via Teams.
• Successful candidates shortlisted for interview 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.

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 Ability, Behaviours, Technical and Experience outlined in the advert and attached role profile.
• The first part of the interview will comprise of a presentation, 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, Technical 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 Monday 23rd March 2026 (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between Tuesday 24th March and Monday 30th March 2026.
• The ILA Assessments have been scheduled to take place from 2nd April - 17th April 2026. (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 will be held from the week commencing 20th April 2026. Interviews will be in-person or via Teams. In-person interviews will take place in the London CMA office in Canary Wharf and will be confirmed at the time of interview booking.

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.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 : 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

Director of Markets - Role Profile CMA3222 Opens in new window (pdf, 202kB)