Economics Intern

Hours: Full time / Part time / Flexible

Contract: Fixed term – up to 12 months

The Competition and Markets Authority is undergoing an exciting expansion with the establishment of new offices and a Microeconomics Unit in Darlington. We have Economic Intern opportunities for enthusiastic economics graduates and students to develop their knowledge, technical skills and experience in our growing team.

The Microeconomics Unit leads the CMA’s economic research programme, set out in its Economic Research Strategy. The Unit provides analysis and expertise on the issues of UK competition, consumer rights, supply-side reforms, innovation and productivity. The ambition is for the Unit to become a microeconomic sibling for the Bank of England’s well-established public macroeconomic role.

You will contribute to economic analysis and research, with the support of more senior economists. This includes identifying key issues, designing and conducting analysis, drawing conclusions and presenting them to colleagues and decision makers.

A demonstrable interest in microeconomics or econometrics will stand you in good stead to work on a variety of research projects in the Microeconomics Unit, which may include:

• Assessing how well competition is working in the UK, through the regular State of Competition report.
• Empirical research into live issues in competition policy and structural reforms aimed at improving UK productivity – such as the nature and extent of employer market power in labour markets.
• Quantifying benefits the CMA generates for consumers in the annual Positive Impact report and looking for ways to improve how we measure the CMA’s impact.
• The CMA’s ongoing programme of ex-post studies into past competition policy interventions.

You will join a committed community of economists and econometricians, working in a collaborative, collegiate atmosphere across our regional offices, with this role being based in Darlington. We are a very diverse team; our economists and econometricians have a range of backgrounds and nationalities. You will work in agile, dedicated teams undertaking quantitative analysis and research on key issues in microeconomics.

Economics Interns are encouraged to take part in the learning and development opportunities available to the wider economics community, which includes 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. This is a good opportunity to gain unique experience, giving Economics Interns useful tools to go on to apply for future permanent positions within the CMA, a route taken by many previous Interns.

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 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. The CMA also offers 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 our employee assistance programme.

We welcome applications from candidates that have or are in their penultimate year working towards a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or on track to graduate with the required qualification by September 2024) with a microeconomics and/or quantitative focus, or a postgraduate economics qualification.

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

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 5th February 2024.

Information about the work of the CMA can also be found by visiting our economist LinkedIn page. Please also have a read of our blog to learn more about being an Economist at the CMA.

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.