Senior HR Business Partner

Job summary

Are you an experienced HR Business Partner looking to join a high performing HR department in a world leading organisation?

Join the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and play a key role in building the capacity, capability and commitment of our employees.

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.

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

Job description

The CMA’s HR Business Partner team is a part of its high-performing People, Capability and Culture department and is at the forefront of all people-related activities, both operational and strategic. The Senior HR Business Partner role is an integral position that reports to an Assistant HR Director. The role has two primary functions:

• To act as a trusted strategic partner to leaders across a designated portfolio—using deep organisational understanding, people data and professional insight to diagnose priorities, shape workforce and people plans, and deliver evidence-based solutions that build leadership, talent, capability, engagement and sustainable performance.
• To lead the people dimensions of organisational change and transformation—working with leaders and specialist colleagues to design and embed changes to organisation, workforce, leadership, culture and ways of working, manage workforce impacts and risks, and ensure change delivers measurable, sustainable outcomes aligned with the CMA’s strategy and annual plans.

Delivering strategic solutions in partnership with CMA senior leaders, the Senior HR Business Partner is a client-facing, diagnostic and solution-focused role. It enables high performance of individuals, teams and the CMA through a coaching, influencing and facilitative approach.

This is an exciting time to join us. As a Senior HR Business Partner, you will be close to the CMA’s most important priorities, trusted to shape solutions with senior leaders and able to see the impact of your work across the organisation. If you are energised by purposeful work, ambitious change, and the chance to help build a brilliant organisation, we would love to hear from you.

This is a permanent role that is also available on a loan basis for current government employees.

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

• Significant HR Business Partner experience within a professional service and/or public sector organisation, evidencing a range of generalist HR experience. (Lead Criteria)
• Experience in planning and delivering complex organisational change projects with stakeholders (including unions and staff representatives), including organisation design and culture change. (Lead Criteria)
• Experience in supporting and coaching managers with complex employee relations matters, using strong employment law knowledge to mitigate risk and resolve cases. (Lead Criteria)
• Chartered MCIPD qualification OR extensive general HR experience (Lead Criteria).
• Significant stakeholder management experience at a senior level, demonstrating confidence in handling challenging stakeholders and dealing with conflicting priorities.
• Excellent communication and written skills with the ability to provide clear advice, and present and write Board and Executive committee papers to a high standard, with strong IT skills in Microsoft office applications (Power point, Excel, Word, and Co-Pilot)

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Developing Self and Others

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,300, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £17,758 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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 an interview which will include a presentation based on a case study that will be provided in advance. Arrangements for the case study and presentation will be enclosed in the interview 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 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 interview.
• Candidates that pass the sift will then be invited to 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 Behaviours and Experience listed in the advert and attached role profile.
• During the interview you will begin with your presentation, based on the case study and will be asked questions based on the Behaviours and Experience 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 02 November 2026 (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 03 and 09 November 2026.
• Interviews will be held from the week commencing 16 November 2026,

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 basic (or equivalent) 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

Role Profile - Senior HR Business Partner Oct 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 214kB)