Assistant Director – Markets

Do you want to tackle complex issues in markets across the UK economy, delivering savings for consumers and enabling business dynamism?

Can you lead an inclusive, multi-disciplinary team that delivers high-profile projects to ambitious timelines?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Assistant Director, Markets at the Competition and Markets Authority leads multi-disciplinary teams to improve market functioning and consumer outcomes through strategic policy and project delivery. This role drives high-profile projects, stakeholder engagement, and policy innovation across diverse market sectors.

About the CMA

The CMA is a world-leading competition authority at the forefront of tackling pressing public policy questions, including the regulation of the biggest digital markets. Our mission is to make markets work well in the interests of consumers, businesses, and the economy.

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

As an Assistant Director in Markets your responsibilities include;

• Leading a delivery and engagement team (typically 3-7 people) and/or multi-disciplinary policy and analysis workstreams. This is part of a larger team (up to 40 people depending on the scale of the project), developing solutions to complex market issues, and managing project delivery with a focus on evidence-based analysis and risk management.
• Depending on the nature of specific markets projects, the role may involve leading substantive competition and/or consumer policy analysis and development, leading an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement, drafting high-quality reports, and overseeing project management and coordination functions that drive forward delivery.
• The role demands strong leadership, strategic policy skills, excellent communication, and stakeholder management capabilities, alongside supporting staff development and organizational culture.
• The position operates within a project-based resourcing model and requires navigating ambiguity to influence government policy and market regulation effectively.

For full role responsibilities, please review the attached role profile.

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)

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), and an interview.
• 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 750 words.
• An initial sift based on the Lead Criteria may be held if a large number of applications are received. If your application progresses to a full sift, the remaining two elements under 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 virtually 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 based on the Technical element summarised below. The 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.
• Technical elements we will assess at the interview:
• Influencing UK, devolved and local government policy.
• 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 Tuesday 1st September 2026 (09:30). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 1st - 4th September 2026.
• Interviews will be held from the 22nd September to the 1st October 2026.

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.