CMA Careers – Insight Adviser

About the job

Location

Cardiff / Belfast / Edinburgh / London / Manchester (with occasional travel to the London office)

Job Summary

About the job

Are you interested in the impact Artificial Intelligence / Machine Leaning and digital technology has on society and the unique power large technology firms exert on our daily lives? Would you like to use your technical knowledge of databases, cloud infrastructure, and/or web/app development for the public good? If so, join the CMA’s Data, Technology and Analytics (DaTA) unit and be at the forefront of protecting consumers by investigating and understanding firms’ sociotechnical systems.

The DaTA Unit is responsible for keeping the CMA at the leading edge of data and technology to protect the interests of consumers. The team works to shape how we think about the regulation of data and technology markets and the activities of digital companies.

Job Description

As a Data & Technology Insights Adviser, you will keep abreast of new developments in the use of data and technology that affect consumers and competition, and work with colleagues in multidisciplinary teams providing technical advice.

You will support a range of cases, including antitrust or consumer cases, major market studies, and mergers. For example, you might analyse technical explainers and presentations about a firm’s digital systems (e.g. APIs, algorithms, etc.), draft and ask technical questions to the firm’s engineers, or advise non-technical colleagues on how technology works.

You will get involved in a variety of non-case projects working with CMA colleagues from the DaTA Unit and Digital Markets Unit, such as contribute to the CMA’s work on emerging technologies, helping anticipate and analyse technology trends set to disrupt markets. You’ll also have opportunities to contribute to the CMA’s algorithmic processing projects.

There will be, on occasion, opportunities to attend external events and read academic research papers. You will build relationships with internal and external experts – technologists, academics, and others – to harness their knowledge and insight for the CMA.

The ideal candidate will need an active interest in digital markets, with knowledge of one or more technologies e.g., AI / ML, cloud infrastructure, web development, app development, database technologies etc. Experience of researching, synthesising, and communicating complex information about technical subjects is equally important.

You will need to have good communication skills, with the ability to present analysis in a straightforward and engaging way, including to non-technical audiences, are equally important.

In return the CMA is a hugely diverse, rewarding and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. We offer generous benefits, which you can review in full below.

Person specification

• Work with project leads to provide support across critical business areas for the CMA e.g. technology focussed antitrust cases, consumer cases, market studies, or mergers of technology firms. This includes working in a diverse, interdisciplinary team.
• Contribute to the delivery of the DTI input to cases with a data or technology focus or involving research and analysis of algorithms and sociotechnical systems (utilising your knowledge of areas of technology).
• Deliver verbal and written communication on key technology and data issues of interest to the CMA to non-technical colleagues, including synthesis or summarisation where appropriate
• Build and maintain great relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay up to date with new technological developments that are of interest to the CMA and bring these learnings into the CMA. This includes bringing such insight into proactive work on our emtech and algorithms programme.

To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, please click on the APPLY button.

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Closing date: 11.55pm on Monday 31st October 2023.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Technical Skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Data & Technology Insight Tools

Benefits

All CMA employees enjoy the following benefits package:

• An excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years)
• Favourable consideration of flexible working
• Generous maternity/paternity leave provision
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme and our employee assistance programme.

A move to the CMA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.”

If you’re already a civil servant being appointed on level transfer, you’ll retain your existing terms, including annual leave. Where you are being promoted, however, you’ll receive the greater of a 10% pay increase or the new grade minimum. Applicants new to the civil service may be considered for appointment at a salary higher than the starting point indicated above, depending on skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications.

The CMA, like many other organisations, have moved to 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. Our staff work at least 50% of their time from their office location.

The CMA are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. It is a priority to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and as an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applications from under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse people, people with a disability, and people with diverse gender identities.

The CMA is an accredited Disability Confident Employer. Disabled applicants meeting the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and an online application form. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review) and an interview. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation sent when you schedule your interview slot. Interviews will be conducted via MS Teams.

An initial sift based on lead criteria 1 and 2 may be held if a large number of applications are received. If your application then progresses to a full sift, all elements of the essential criteria listed under Person Specification of the role profile will then be considered.

Please Note That It Is Essential That Your Personal Statement Is Aligned To Provide Evidence That You Have The Knowledge And Recent Practical Experience For Each Of The Following Selection Criteria In Your Application

• Degree or equivalent qualification or research or work experience related to technology or a sociotechnical area.
• Knowledge of one or more areas of technology e.g. AI / ML, cloud infrastructure, web development, app development, database technologies.
• Experience researching, synthesising and communicating complex information about technical subjects to non-technical audiences.
• Experience working in a diverse team, contributing to it, sharing resources and supporting the team to be effective in its goals.
• Demonstrable ability to build and leverage relationships both inside and outside an organisation or team.
• Ability to quickly and effectively learn about new areas of technology.

Closing date: 11.55pm on Monday 31st October 2023.

The sifting dates are 1st-4th November 2023.

Interviews to be held during the week beginning 14th November 2023.

If you are successful in your application, you will be invited to attend a 15-minute assessment followed by a short presentation on your findings. There will then be a 45-60-minute panel interview.

The assessment and some follow-up questions will be based on the Digital, Data and Technology Profession Capability Framework.

You can learn more about the framework, which is matched to the role of Junior Data Scientist here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/data-scientist#junior-data-scientist.

Reasonable Adjustments

In order for a person with disabilities not to be put at a disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process.

For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete

Nationality Requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Working for the Civil Service

The

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

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.

Apply and further information

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 : Recruitment
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team :

• Email : [email protected]

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 [email protected] 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.