Economics Adviser - Economics Returners Programme

[CJAGroup]

Salary: £59,100 - £66,750 pa
Location: Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London or Manchester
Hours: Full time / Part time / Flexible working
Contract: Fixed Term
 
If you are a professional economist who has taken a career break and are keen to be supported back into the workplace and use your knowledge, technical skills, and experience to make a real difference to the lives of consumers this is an exciting opportunity to join the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
 
About the CMA
 
At a time when the UK economy faces unprecedented challenges including the rising cost of living, it is vital the CMA is able to provide high-quality economic analysis to inform effective interventions in markets, influence policies and protect both consumers and businesses. At the CMA, economics is at the heart of everything we do.
 
We tackle high-profile cases and offer intellectual leadership in how to analyse potential harm to competition and champion the consumer. Recent cases in which economists played a critical role include the Microsoft/Activision and Adobe/Figma merger inquiries and the housebuilding and road fuels market studies.
 
What you will do
 
As an Economics Adviser, you will join a strong, diverse team of economists, working in a collaborative, collegiate atmosphere to provide and manage economic input into a diverse range of cases. This includes investigations into mergers and markets, competition and consumer enforcement, regulatory appeals, as well as the work of CMA’s Office of the Internal Market and Subsidy Advice Unit. It is also expected that the government will soon provide the CMA with powers to implement a new pro-competitive digital markets regime. Consequently, you will be joining the CMA at an exciting time when the first investigations under the UK’s new digital markets regime will be launched.
 
With the opportunity to work flexibly across the full range of our projects, or to specialise in certain areas, you will be the lead economist on some cases, or lead on a particular area of analysis in more complex cases. You will be responsible for carrying out and/or supervising economic analysis relevant to the project, including presenting results and providing economic advice to colleagues across different professions and decision makers. You will have opportunities to manage and develop others, and to contribute to the development of the CMA’s economics capability. You will be working in a stimulating environment with autonomy, responsibility, and direct access to key decision makers. We are an international team; our economists have a range of backgrounds and nationalities.
 
You will need to have a 2:1 undergraduate degree in economics or a post-graduate degree in economics with a strong microeconomics and/or quantitative focus, with practical work experience in the economic analysis of markets or applied microeconomics.
 
The Returners Programme
 
This programme offers successful applicants a flexible fixed-term contract (minimum of 6 months and maximum of 12 months to be discussed at the offer stage), which will roll into a permanent role, subject to performance objectives being met.
 
This role can be based in any of the CMA’s offices (Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London or Manchester).
 
You will have the freedom and technology to enable you to work outside of the office and if needed, utilise the flexible working options (eg part-time / flexible patterns) that allow you to work around any ongoing non-work commitments.
 
As part of the programme, you will be supported back into the workplace through:
 
·       A competitive package of pay and benefits during the programme
·       Flexible working options - including flexibility on working hours/patterns and location;
·       Initial support from a buddy within the CMA’s economics team to help with the practical aspects of returning to work
·       Ongoing support from an experienced mentor for longer-term guidance on career/personal development
·       Dedicated time to pursue a wide range of training opportunities
 
The CMA prides itself on being a great place to work and strives to ensure that staff have the opportunity to grow and expand their skills portfolio. As well as being a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating place to work, you will have an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself while doing so.
 
This programme is available for those who have been on a career break of at least three years from working as a professional economist.
 
Please note that for exceptional international candidates, we may be able to sponsor your right to work in the UK, subject to your eligibility to work for the Civil Service. Sponsorship will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
 
To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, please click HERE
 
Closing date for applications: 11.55pm on Monday 20th May 2024.
 Further details on the CMA can be found on the CMA’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter pages.
 
We will be hosting an online event where you will learn from CMA staff about their experiences working at the CMA. The event will be recorded and will also be available to view on the CMA’s  YouTube page. To attend the live event, you can register your interest here. The online event will be at 13:00 on the 17 April 2024.
 
Like many other organisations, we operate a hybrid working model with a mix of office and home working. We believe this supports us to deliver our best work while allowing the flexibility to maintain balanced and healthy lives.
The CMA are an accredited Disability Confident Employer, and we are an equal opportunities employer, welcoming suitably qualified applicants from all backgrounds.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.