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Senior Scientist - Surface Observations R&D
We’re looking for an exceptional Senior Scientist - Surface Observations R&D to help us make a difference to our planet.
As our Senior Scientist - Surface Observations R&D, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home.This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work.
Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week. Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone.
World changing work
From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are.
* We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
* We’reexperts by nature - always learning and developing to do thingsbetter
* We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision - making
* We’rebetter together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make usgreater
* We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers
Your world of expertise
Observations are fundamental to almost everything we do at the Met Office.Our network of surface observations measures the atmosphere and feeds data into models used to predict both weather and climate as well as providing a historical record of the climate. This work helps people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.
You will contribute to research and scientific technical development and understanding of the surface observations that underpin global and national networks, ensuring they are fit for purpose now and in the future .
* Designing field trials for meteorological instruments and co-ordinating a multi-disciplinary team to deliver them.
* Analysing data from these trials and those of others, using code that you will have written to a demanding quality standard.
* Developing software tools and processes that enable the team to work efficiently and effectively.
* Communicating your results and recommendations, including through peer-reviewed publication and working with the international meteorology community.
* Proactively developing your skills and knowledge to stay up-to-date with advancements in meteorological measurements and techniques, including developing deep expertise in key observations.
Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing.The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified. We are also featured on their ‘Best Workplaces in Tech’ 2023 and 2024 lists, as well as their ‘54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.
As our Senior Scientist - Surface Observations R&D, your total reward package will be up to £58,419 annually, which includes:
* An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
* Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave
Essential Criteria, skills and experience:
* A physical science or engineering background equivalent to degree level and several years of relevant experience.
* Experience of leading scientific or engineering tasks to solve a range of scientific or technical challenges, including in unfamiliar areas, with the ability to prioritise between competing activities (expert by nature).
* Experience of communicating technical and scientific knowledge accurately and concisely in various situations, including through presentations and written reports, to technical experts, non-specialist stakeholders, and decision- makers, enabling informed decisions to be made .
* Proven ability to mentor and provide support to others to develop their skills, leading to successful project delivery and enhanced team collaboration and productivity (better together ) .
* Experience of independently designing and writing python (or similar high-level language) code to produce high quality analyses of complex environmental datasets, delivering actionable scientific insight .
* Experience of applying, promoting and supporting good quality assurance processes in all aspects of your work and that of others, including technical, software and communications (keep evolving) .
We encourage you to apply if you believe you meet our essential criteria, but we’re also keen to discover if you have:
* Familiarity with running and/or analysing trials of environmental sensors including processing and interpreting the resulting data.
How to apply
If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application.Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire .We recommend candidates use the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) for presenting evidence of experience and skills.
Closing date 14/09/2025 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from late September. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.
Using AI in your application
We welcome applications that use AI tools for support in drafting or refining, as long as they accurately reflect your own skills and experience. All hiring decisions at the Met Office are made by people, not AI. For more details, visit our approach to recruitment .
How we can help
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk .
If you’re considering applying and need support to do so, please get in touch. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us.Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.
We understand that great minds don’t always think alike and as an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.
We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information.We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.
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