Executive Director, Consumer Protection

Job summary

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, subsidy advice and internal market advice. If you are motivated by a dynamic environment with the opportunity to lead the CMA’s consumer protection work, then this could be the ideal role for you.

Job description

As Executive Director, you will have strategic and operational leadership of the CMA’s Consumer Protection directorate. You will also be an active member of the CMA Board. You’ll ensure our consumer protection regime is delivered to a clear vision, in a collaborative and inclusive working culture. Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and your fellow Board members, you will set the strategic and policy direction for your directorate’s work. As an advocate for the CMA, you will foster excellent relationships across government, and within the legal, economic and business community.

For full details about the role and working at the CMA you can review the attached role profile and candidate pack.

About you

You will bring to the role exceptional knowledge and experience in applying and enforcing consumer protection laws. We expect you to demonstrate a measurable track record of taking strategic decisions, managing risks proactively and operating collegiately within complex governance arrangements. A highly credible individual, you have the ability to move between strategic thinking and technical detail. Your communication and influencing skills will equip you to manage complex, high-level stakeholder relationships.

The benefits

Your benefits package will include a competitive contributory pension scheme and generous annual leave, plus opportunities for flexible and hybrid working. The package also includes childcare benefits and season ticket and bicycle loans. The Civil Service is committed to becoming the most inclusive employer in the UK and we want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us. In return for your dedication, you will enjoy our commitment to your career and development.

Person specification

It is important through your CV and Personal Statement that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following essential criteria.

• Exceptional knowledge and experience in the application and enforcement of consumer protection laws, within the UK’s statutory framework, with a measurable track record of taking strategic decisions, proactively managing risks and operating collegiately within complex governance arrangements.
• The presence and impact to operate effectively with businesses, consumers, government, UK stakeholders and international counterparts.
• An experienced communicator and influencer, with significant senior experience of leading and proactively managing complex high-level stakeholder relationships and operating effectively at the most senior level both strategically and tactically within strict resource constraints.
• Strong leadership skills, with demonstrable experience of developing a clear vision and promoting a strong culture of openness to challenge, collaboration and delivery including innovative use of new technology to achieve robust and impactful outcomes.
• High intellectual capability and a capacity to move between strategic thinking and technical detail, and a high level of personal credibility based on first class judgement and integrity.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £140,000, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £40,558 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 the candidate pack.

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the application process no later than the advert closing date, which is 23:55 on 2 February 2026.

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

1. 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. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than two pages), giving examples of how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.
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 9th February 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 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 personal statement and CV. Candidates may be asked to 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 16th - 27th February 2026.

Panel interviews will be held 6th March 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.

If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to SC level.

Reasonable adjustments
We want to make sure no one is at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. Selection will be on merit. If you wish to apply under the DCS, you should include this in your application. It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability.

If you feel that you may need a reasonable adjustment to be made, or you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact adjustments@cma.gov.uk in the first instance.

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.

Candidate Pack - https://cma-gov.pagetiger.com/bgpezzi/1

Attachments

Role Profile - Executive Director, Consumer Protection Opens in new window (pdf, 177kB)