Job Description

Details

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Reference number

420988

Salary

47,650 - 51,450
a DDAT allowance of up to 4750 may be applicable
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP

Job grade

Senior Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Analytical


Architecture and Data

Digital

Information Technology

Statistics

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Number of jobs available

2

Contents

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Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information

Location

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Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Manchester

About the job

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Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to use your data science skills for the public good and join the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as a data scientist within its Data, Technology and Insights Directorate. The directorate is a multidisciplinary team that brings together data scientists, data engineers, technologists, behavioural scientists and digital forensics and eDiscovery experts. It provides the CMA with specialist skills and capabilities to keep pace with fast-moving digital markets, rapidly developing business models and the growing use of data and algorithms.


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.

The data science and engineering team

You will join an established team of approximately 20 data scientists and data engineers within the wider DaTA Unit. We provide analytical support for CMA legal cases and develop tools to improve how the CMA operates. We build most of our tools ourselves, on top of open-source software, using our custom analysis platform built in AWS. Data scientists in our team have space to explore the use of new, cutting-edge techniques in data processing and machine learning, including large language models and generative AI. We work in a collaborative way, with a focus on sharing our knowledge and experience across the team.


Examples of projects we've worked on recently include:

Building a machine learning tool that collects and classifies news articles to support the CMA's merger investigation team. Experimenting with and testing LLMs as part of our digital transformation strategy. Using web-scraped data to run a causal study to determine the features in a tech platform's ranking algorithm.

Job description

As a Data Scientist, you will work with senior team members on the technical delivery of data science and analysis projects to support CMA legal cases. You will contribute to scoping projects and designing their data science solutions and assist in identifying competition and consumer protection issues that the CMA could address using data science methods


You will develop data science tools to support the functions of the CMA, produce "production" code in Python (other languages such as R or SQL might be used as needed) and assist other team members with regular code reviews.


Working within a multi-disciplinary case team, you will write and present the output of analyses to both technical and non-technical stakeholders and develop strong working relationships across the CMA.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application. For tips on how to make the most your application, please have a look at our guidance document.

Experience of applying data science techniques to real world problems to drive meaningful impact, and the ability to identify and apply suitable technical approaches to achieve this.

(Lead Criteria)

A degree in a quantitative subject

or

equivalent relevant data science experience. Experience with relevant programming languages (e.g. Python, R). Experience with associated tools (e.g. GitHub, cloud services such as AWS) is a plus. Experience and understanding of how to effectively facilitate collaboration and communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders. Experience of project involvement outside of technical work (e.g. project management, scoping).

While a good understanding of competition and consumer issues would be useful, this is not essential, and the CMA prides itself on ensuring that staff can grow and

develop their skills.

Behaviours

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


Seeing the Big Picture Communicating and Influencing Working Together

Technical skills

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


You will be assessed against the Digital, Data and Technology profession capability framework. Specifically, you will assessed against the Junior Data Scientist capability framework. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/data-scientist#junior-data-scientist

Benefits

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Alongside your salary of 47,650, Competition & Markets Authority contributes 13,804 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
You'll also get:

25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years), plus 8 public holidays and an additional day off for the King's birthday. In addition, you'll be able to access a wide range of other types of leave as and when you need it, including generous maternity, paternity, shared parental leave and adoption options, as well as paid special leave for volunteering Season ticket loans, cycle to work scheme, flu vaccinations and eye tests Access to the Civil Service Sports & Leisure, giving discounted gym membership, high street discounts, free access to UK wide attractions and a free Tastecard A range of wellbeing benefits, including an employee assistance programme, flexible working options and family friendly policies, regular networking events and professional learning opportunities at work

You can read more about our benefits in our candidate pack.

Our Values

We are Ambitious and Evidence-based, and always strive for Excellence. We treat everyone with Respect and are Collaborative and Inclusive.


Everything we do is underpinned by the Civil Service values: Honesty, Integrity, Impartiality and Objectivity.


You can read more about life at the CMA in our candidate pack

Things you need to know

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Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, technical questions to explore your experience and an online application form. Further details about application requirements are listed on the application form.

The technical questions in the application form will be as follows;

1. Please describe the experience you have working on data science projects from concept to delivery. Please provide details of;

(500 words max)

:

The extent to which you have applied data science techniques to real world problems to drive meaningful impact, including: + the problems you've solved and how the outputs were used; and
+ the techniques and/or technical approaches you used.


2. Please provide evidence of

(500 words max, suggested split below)

:

A degree in a quantitative subject or equivalent relevant data science experience. (100 words) Experience with relevant programming languages (e.g. R, Python, SQL) and/or associated tools (e.g. Github, AWS). (100 words) Collaboration and communication with stakeholders. (150 words) Experience of project involvement outside of technical work (e.g. project management, scoping). (150 words)

The selection process will comprise of the sift (CV & application review) and an interview. Arrangements for the interview will be enclosed in the invitation. Interviews will be either conducted either virtually, by Microsoft Teams, or in-person at a CMA office.


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, all elements of the essential criteria listed under Person Specification (above, below and in the attached candidate pack) will then be considered.

Experience of applying data science techniques to real world problems to drive meaningful impact, and the ability to identify and apply suitable technical approaches to achieve this.

(Lead Criteria)

A degree in a quantitative subject

or

equivalent relevant data science experience. Experience with relevant programming languages (e.g. Python, R). Experience with associated tools (e.g. GitHub, cloud services such as AWS) is a plus. Experience and understanding of how to effectively facilitate collaboration and communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders. Experience of project involvement outside of technical work (e.g. project management, scoping).

The sift will take place week commencing 18th August 2025.

Technical test

If your application is successful, you will be invited to complete an online technical test (either using Python or R), expected during the w/c 25th August 2025. This will form part of the technical assessment for the role and will be discussed at the interview stage.

Interview

Successful candidates at the technical test will be asked to attend an interview.


You will be notified via email to log-in to your Civil Service Jobs Account and book your interview slot. You will be sent an email with full details of your arrangements for interview.



Interviews are expected to be held from w/c 8th September 2025.


The interview will be a 45 minute to 1 hour panel interview in which you will be asked questions based on your submitted technical test in addition to the Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills outlined in the role profile.


You will also be assessed on the following CMA Values

Evidence Based Collaborative Inclusive

During the selection process, you will also be assessed against the Digital, Data and Technology profession capability framework. Specifically, you will assessed against the Junior Data Scientist capability framework. You can learn more about this here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/data-scientist#junior-data-scientist


For current Civil Servants that are members of Government Analytical Professions; Government Statistician Group (GSG), Government Social Research Service (GSR), Government Operational Research (GORS) or Government Economic Service (GES), at interview you will also be assessed against;

GSG: Data Analysis GSR: Technical skills - analysis and interpretation GORS: Achieving impact with analysis GES: Analysis of Data

Reasonable adjustments

We want to make sure no one is at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.



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 example, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional. You might also require additional time to complete a timed assessment or a sign language interpreter to support with the relaying of information.



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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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) 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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.



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

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants

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Job contact :

Name : Tom Skidmore Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk
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Recruitment team

Email : recruitment@cma.gov.uk

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 Recruitment@cma.gov.uk 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.