General Counsel

General Counsel

Salary: Circa £180k (*see below)

Location: Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London or Manchester

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time / Part time / Flexible

As the CMA nears our 10-year anniversary, and we take on important new and expanded powers, we have a number of vacancies in our Senior Executive Team creating an exciting opportunity to refresh and expand the leadership of our growing organisation at a pivotal moment.

The role of General Counsel for the CMA provides an unrivalled opportunity to deliver exceptional cutting edge legal and policy advice across all of our most complex cases, defending high profile litigation and acting as Legal Advisor to the Board.

About the CMA

We help people, businesses, and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. Our work is wide ranging, ambitious and often new and challenging.

As the CMA takes on ever-more complex work, the legal and policy questions we address sit at the heart of all that we do.

The role

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the General Counsel is responsible for providing first class legal and policy advice across all of the CMA’s casework, including mergers, markets, competition and consumer protection enforcement, subsidy advice and our new digital markets regulation function.

You will be responsible for the overall conduct of the CMA’s litigation function and providing risk-based legal and policy advice to the CMA Board, Chair and CEO as well as senior decision-makers across the CMA.

You will work with the CEO and the Board to set the strategic direction of the work undertaken by the CMA’s Legal Service and Policy team.

Leading by example and acting as a role model, you will also be responsible for building the required skills and expertise within the CMA’s Legal Service.

As a key member of the CMA’s Senior Executive Team, you will have shared responsibility for leading the CMA beyond our 10-year anniversary as the volume, breadth, complexity and importance of the work we undertake extends to new frontiers. 

Please note that we are also looking to appoint a Deputy General Counsel. Collectively, these roles will shape our legal profession, taking responsibility for the provision of first class legal and policy advice across all CMA cases and litigation decisions.  Whilst the level of accountability and responsibility will vary, the essential criteria for both roles remains similar and candidates applying for these positions will be considered for both roles.  Candidates will be informed through the process for which role they are to be considered. If candidates only wish to be considered for one of the two roles, they should make it clear in their personal statement.  

About you

Senior level experience of working as a lawyer at partner level across competition, consumer, public and relevant sectoral legal frameworks is essential. You will also need a track record of strategic decision making, providing strategic legal advice, proactively managing risks and operating collegiately within complex governance arrangements.

As an experienced communicator and influencer, you will have the ability to work effectively with businesses, consumers, government, UK stakeholders and international counterparts.

Strong leadership skills with the gravitas to lead an intellectually strong management team is equally important.

What we can offer you

• *Circa salary of £180k for successful candidates currently external to the Civil Service. 
• 10% pay on promotion or the minimum of the PB2 CMA Competition Specialist pay range, which starts at £126,307 (pay award pending).

Colleagues applying on lateral transfer at PB2 will remain on their current salaries if successfully appointed (pay award pending).

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, including an excellent pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 27%, 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, our employee assistance programme, and our extensive flexible working options.

The CMA has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to advise on this appointment. For further information about the position and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service and how to apply, please click the apply button.

The closing date for applications is 23:55 on Sunday 24th September 2023.

We are currently recruiting to a number of senior roles and candidates are advised to review the candidate packs and make it clear in their personal statement and application to which positions they are applying. 

Candidates may apply for more than one role. 

The CMA, 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. Our staff work at least 40% of their time from their office location. The post holder can be located in any of our locations, but a substantial amount of time will need to be spent in London.

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.