Personal Assistant to Senior Economic Directors and Economics Management Team

Job summary

The Office of the Chief Economic Adviser (OCEA) is seeking to recruit a highly organised and proactive Personal Assistant to provide high-quality support to senior leaders and contribute to the effective running of the directorate. This is a pivotal role within a fast-paced and collaborative environment, offering exposure to senior stakeholders and the opportunity to work at the centre of the department.

This position offers a strong platform for development, with clear opportunities to build experience, enhance skills, and grow within OCEA. The successful candidate will be supported to develop their capabilities, gain broad organisational insight, and progress their career.

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

Diary, Inbox and Senior Leader Support

• Manage and maintain complex diaries, resolving clashes and prioritising competing demands using sound judgement.
• Monitor and manage email inboxes, responding to routine correspondence, signposting queries appropriately, and tracking actions to ensure timely follow‑up.

Meetings, Events and Visitor Management

• Arrange and coordinate internal and external meetings, including forward planning, booking rooms, scheduling attendees, and supporting the preparation and circulation of agendas and papers.
• Support the production, distribution and storage of meeting minutes and action logs, prompting for updates where required.

Travel, Expenses and Administrative Processes

• Coordinate travel and accommodation arrangements in line with organisational policies.
• Process expenses, timesheets and invoices accurately and within required timescales.

Directorate and Team Administration

• Provide administrative support to the wider directorate and outreach team, including maintaining email distribution lists and shared folders.
• Update intranet pages and internal communications to ensure information is accurate and current.

Data, Planning and Governance Support

• Maintain data and management information to support reporting, workforce planning and budgetary processes.
• Assist with collating, checking and coordinating information for senior management and governance meetings.

Recruitment and Resourcing Support

• Assist in the coordination of recruitment campaigns, including arranging interview timetables, preparing interview packs and supporting panels on interview days.
• Collate feedback and documentation in line with recruitment and resourcing processes.

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. 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:

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of providing effective administrative or Personal Assistant support in a fast‑paced environment. (Lead Criteria)
• Strong digital capability, including effective use of Microsoft Office applications and organisational systems. (Lead Criteria)
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and manage workloads proactively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to interact effectively with senior leaders and a range of stakeholders in a fast paced environment.
• Experience of working to tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, while also using initiative and working independently when required.

Behaviours

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

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

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
• 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 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 1250 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.
• There will be a pre-interview task shared ahead of the first stage interview slot. Details of this will be shared in interview invitations.
• 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
• Communicating and Influencing

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:

• Working Together

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

• The advert closing date is Thursday 4th June 2026 (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 5th and 11th June 2026.
• Interviews for the first stage will be held from the week commencing 22nd June 2026. Interviews will be via Teams.
• Interviews for the second stage will be held from the week commencing 29th June 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.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 : 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

Personal Assistant OCEA - Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 212kB)