Financial Controller

Job summary

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking a Financial Controller to provide senior technical leadership for Financial Accounts at the CMA, ensuring robust statutory reporting, compliance with accounting standards, and effective financial controls

About the CMA

We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. Our work is wide ranging, ambitious and often new and challenging.

It’s a fascinating time to be at the heart of competition and consumer protection as our lives become increasingly digital and society grapples with the unique power of large technology firms.

We are fully committed to being a flexible, respectful and inclusive employer. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we welcome applications from under-represented groups.

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

Job description

This role owns delivery of the Resource Accounts & Trust Statement, manages the relationship with the National Audit Office (NAO) on financial audit, and provides authoritative assurance to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) and the Board on complex accounting matters including digital markets competition regime levy (SMS Levy), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 16, asset revaluations and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) disclosures.

Working collaboratively with the Assistant Finance Director (Strategic Finance) and other Grade 6 leaders, the Financial Controller supports the Director of Finance, Risk, and Business Reporting by ensuring that financial accounting is integrated with business reporting, risk management and performance frameworks to support evidence-based decision making. The role contributes to embedding financial accountability across the CMA, supporting the business partnering approach by ensuring robust financial controls and statutory reporting underpin the finance function's strategic advisory role.

For 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.

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of leading the production of statutory accounts in a large and complex organisation in accordance with Financial Reporting Standards, including direct ownership of the audit process through to clearance and sign-off (Lead Criteria)
• Deep technical accounting expertise with the ability to provide clear, authoritative advice to Accounting Officers and senior governance forums (Lead Criteria)
• Substantial experience communicating and working at a senior level providing financial assurance to Audit and Risk Assurance Committees and Accounting Officers, including managing internal and external audit relationships and communications and closing audit findings.
• Significant experience leading and developing finance professionals and a related function, with accountability for transactional finance operations and delivery of system or process improvements that strengthen financial control and governance.
• Experience of developing and owning Accounting Policies for complex organisations.

Qualifications

CCAB qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Financial Reporting and Management Information,Government Finance Frameworks,Financial Controls and Governance, andProcess Improvement and Programme Delivery

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £73,730, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £21,359 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.
• You will first be sifted on the essential qualification criteria.
• If you meet the qualification criteria you will then be sifted on the first two 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 either in person or via 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, experience and technical skills listed 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, Experience and Technical skills 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 31 January 2026 (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 02 and 09 February 2026.
• Interviews will be held from the week commencing 16 February 2026.

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.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. You can also email recruitment@cma.gov.uk.

For example, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional. You might also require additional time to complete a timed assessment or a sign language interpreter to support with the relaying of information.

The use of AI

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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 : Serena Connor
• 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

G6 Financial Controller Role Profile Jan 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 146kB)