Space Weather Scientist
£41,344 - £45,479 The band minimum is the normal starting pay for those new to a role. In exceptional circumstances, when relevant skills and experience can be identified, a higher starting salary may be considered.
We will give full consideration to requests for flexible and part‑time working, such as reduced hours, compressed hours or job sharing. We also offer hybrid working and recognise the many benefits this brings. The nature of the role will determine if flexible and hybrid working options are possible.
Interview date – Week beginning 5th January 2026.
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is looking for an exceptional Space Weather Scientist to join our Space Weather and Atmosphere team. BAS delivers and enables world‑leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. We employ experts from many different professions to carry out our science while keeping the lights on, feeding the research and support teams and keeping everyone safe.
Working at BAS is rewarding. Our skilled science, operational and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through our extensive logistic capability and know‑how, BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure, help sustain a world‑leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. British Antarctic Survey is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which is part of UK Research and Innovation.
Benefits
* 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days
* Excellent civil service pension (with 26% or more employer contribution, depending on your band)
* 24 hours/365 days access to employee assistance programme (EAP – including support with physical, mental, social, health and financial issues)
* Flexible and family‑friendly working opportunities
* Cycle to work scheme
* Access to discounted shopping on a range of retail, leisure and lifestyle categories and much more.
Within the role, there will be an opportunity to develop your understanding of ionospheric and magnetospheric physics and the wide range of different observation techniques used in this project and more broadly at BAS. Additionally, you will develop understanding and capability in public software creation and version control in Python and Git. There are also a broad range of learning and development opportunities available within BAS and UKRI that will be available to you.
Current projects the team are working on include: a new approach to modelling the Earth's radiation environment, studying the drivers and impacts of ionospheric variability, providing radiation belt forecasts for the UK Met Office, investigating the effects of coupled wave power and plasma properties on radiation belt dynamics, and understanding the radiation belts at Jupiter and Saturn.
Responsibilities
* Work as part of the MAHSSIV project team to analyse data from multiple ground‑based instruments, aiming to link SuperDARN spectral width data from historical datasets to fine‑scale plasma motion through case studies and appropriate statistics.
* Create an open‑source Python tool for the international community to track small‑scale Joule heating contributions using the global SuperDARN radar network.
Qualifications
* A PhD or equivalent experience in physics, maths, or associated discipline.
* Experience of scientific data analysis.
* Demonstrated enthusiasm for science and data analysis.
We believe everyone plays a vital role, is unique and valued. We embrace diversity and equality of opportunity and are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming working environment where everyone's unique perspectives are valued. Different perspectives and collaborative working help us achieve our best work and form a high‑performing team that makes positive changes in the business.
If you are looking for an opportunity to work with world‑class and amazing people in one of the most unique places in the world, then British Antarctic Survey could be for you.
For more information or support, please contact jobs@bas.ac.uk or call 01223 221508.
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