Personal Assistant - Markets

Job summary

The Competition and Markets Authority are seeking a Personal Assistant in our Markets team. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is one of the world's top competition and consumer agencies. The CMA’s Markets group carries out high profile studies and investigations into problem markets.

You will assist the Senior Directors in the management of their diary and inbox, travel arrangements, dealing with queries, as well as providing support with general administrative tasks across the Markets group and the five Directors in the group.
You will take a more active part in the effective leadership and management of the Markets group, in particular in managing resources and supporting the wider administrative team.

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 life at the CMA, please review our candidate pack. The role profile is below.

Job description

Key responsibilities could include:

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to the Senior Directors in a professional, responsible and timely manner;
• Manage enquiries to the Markets team, being proactive and alert to the Senior Director’s daily workload;
• Manage the Senior Director’s diary, handling diary conflicts, and exercising sound judgement in prioritising appointments;
• Assist the Senior Director in managing their outlook inbox, responding to queries or actioning work in their absence (as required) and monitoring progress

To find out more, please review the role profile.

Person specification

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

• Demonstrable experience of excellent organisational skills working in an administrative support capacity, including prioritising a busy work schedule and working collegiately and flexibly in a team-focused environment (lead criteria).
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders and other stakeholders, being responsible for own workload and supporting others in the delivery of work(lead criteria).
• Experience of working under pressure within challenging timeframes, whilst maintaining attention to detail.
• Strong digital literacy, in particular with a focus on Microsoft Office applications and sound experience and judgement in using organisational systems for document creation, data handling and storage.

Behaviours

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

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

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,330, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £9,366 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.

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 & application review), and a two-stage interview. Arrangements for the interview(s) 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 1000 words.
• An initial sift based on the 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 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 and experience outlined in the advert and attached 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.

There will be two interview stages. The first interview will be a 45-60 minute panel interview in which you will be asked Behaviour and Experience questions. The Behaviours that will be assessed during this are;

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Candidates that are successful at the first interview will be invited to a second 20-30 minute interview, in which you will be asked Behaviour and Experience questions. The Behaviours that will be assessed during this are:

• Communicating and Influencing

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

• The advert closing date is Wednesday 29th April 2026 (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 30th April and 8th May 2026.
• Interviews for the first stage will be held from the week commencing 18th May 2026. Interviews will be via Teams.
• Interviews for the second stage will be held from the week commencing 26th May 2026. Interviews will be via Teams.

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 : Marc Batt
• 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

Role Profile PA to SD Markets Opens in new window (pdf, 117kB)