Personal Assistant - Markets

We’re looking for an organised and proactive Personal Assistant to support two Senior Directors within our Markets team. You will provide high-quality diary and inbox management, coordinate travel, respond to queries and provide wider administrative support across the group. You will also play an important role in supporting the effective leadership of the team, helping with resource management and working closely with the wider administrative team.

About the CMA

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK’s principal competition and consumer protection authority. We promote competition and protect consumers with a clear end goal in mind: to drive economic growth and improve household prosperity. The CMA has a range of powers, which it uses to undertake a wide variety of cutting-edge, high profile and complex work, spanning merger and market inquiries, competition and consumer law enforcement, our role in the digital markets competition regime, subsidy advice, and internal market advice.

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

The role will provide comprehensive administrative support to the Senior Directors, ensuring their day-to-day activities are managed effectively and professionally. This will include managing busy diaries and inboxes, prioritising appointments and enquiries, coordinating meetings and papers, arranging travel and accommodation, processing expenses, and supporting the scheduling of performance reviews. You will be expected to use sound judgement, anticipate priorities and build strong working relationships with a wide range of internal stakeholders.

You will also provide wider support to the Markets management team, including organising team meetings, coordinating agendas and minutes, and assisting with recruitment campaigns through interview scheduling, preparation of candidate packs and collation of feedback. Working collaboratively with PAs and Group Administrators across the CMA, you will contribute to the smooth running of the wider team and provide cover for colleagues when required.

Full details of the responsibilites can be found the 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 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.
• Candidates will initially be sifted on the first two essential 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 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 stage will comprise of a short written task followed by 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 4th November 2026 (23:55). We are not able to accept late applications.
• The sift is scheduled to take place between 5th-11th November 2026.
• Interviews for the first stage will be held from the week commencing 16th November 2026. Interviews will be via Teams.
• Interviews for the second stage will be held from the week commencing 23rd November 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.