Assistant Economist

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is one of the world's leading competition and consumer agencies. At a time when the UK economy faces unprecedented challenges and the UK Government is focussed on its growth mission, it is crucial the CMA is able to provide high-quality economic analysis to inform effective interventions in markets, influence policies and protect both consumers and businesses, creating exciting new opportunities for skilled Assistant Economists . Economics is at the heart of the CMA’s work. We have a number of exciting opportunities that call for enthusiastic economists keen to work on large-scale and high-profile investigations within a diverse, inclusive and international organisation dedicated to promoting competition for the benefit of consumers. As an Assistant Economist, you will have the opportunity to work on diverse cases across the full range of projects the CMA undertakes. Such cases have recently included: Assessing the potential impact on consumers of high-profile mergers such as Microsoft/Activision and Vodafone/3; Taking action against drug companies accused of over-charging the NHS; Undertaking major market studies into the mobile ecosystems market and cloud computing market; Investigating concerns over fake and misleading online reviews on certain websites. The CMA’s responsibilities have expanded. The CMA is home to the Digital Markets Unit; a new body established by the UK government to promote greater competition and innovation in fast-moving digital markets. CMA economists also ensure the competition implications of policies are considered through the work of the Subsidy Advice Unit and the Office for the Internal Market. The CMA has also recently established the Microeconomics Unit, located at the Darlington Economic Campus, to lead economic research into competition, innovation, productivity and related issues. Economist positions in the Microeconomics Unit will be advertised separately. You will join a committed community of economists, working in a collaborative, collegiate atmosphere. We are a very diverse team; our economists have a range of backgrounds and nationalities. You will work in agile, dedicated teams undertaking economic analysis to assess competitive effects in markets; you will be provided with structured training opportunities covering both technical, economic skills and more general training; you will also be expected to contribute to the intellectual development of the team of professional economists. You will be ideally placed to identify and benefit from opportunities for career progression across the organisation and you will discover a working environment where there is real emphasis on working together and developing each other to deliver to high standards. Our structured training programme, as well as the wider Civil Service training programme, provides a range of opportunities for continuous improvement and learning to develop your economic expertise including training courses, lunchtime seminars and discussion groups on economics topics. We will also support and encourage you to develop your wider skills – including communication, drafting, management skills and project management. In return, the CMA is a hugely rewarding, diverse and stimulating place to work – an opportunity to work for the public good, have a positive impact on consumers, and to stretch and develop yourself in doing so. We offer a range of flexible working options (including part-time and compressed hours) and, like many other organisations, 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. All CMA staff enjoy generous benefits, including an excellent pension scheme, at least 25 days leave (increasing to 30 over five years), and generous maternity/paternity leave provision. You can also take advantage of interest-free season ticket loans, a cycle to work scheme, and flexible working options. We champion a culture that respects work-life balance and considers flexible working favourably. We welcome applications from candidates that have or are in their final year working towards (on track to graduate with the required qualification by September 2025), a 2:1 undergraduate degree with a strong microeconomics component or a postgraduate economics qualification. To find out more about this opportunity and about working for the CMA, click on the Apply button. Information about the working as an Economist at the CMA can also be found here . Further details on the CMA can be found on the CMA’s YouTube , Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn and Twitter pages. Closing date for completed applications: 11.55pm on Monday 3 rd February 2025. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We want a diverse workforce that reflects the consumers we serve. We welcome applications from under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse people, people with a disability, people with diverse gender identities and from people of different ages. 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. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

Location: Edinburgh, GB

Posted Date: 2/5/2025