Overview
We’re looking for an exceptional Software Developer to help us make a difference to our planet.
As our Software Developer, 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. 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.
Join the Met Office’s Data Services team – an innovative, friendly group at the forefront of developing scalable cloud-based solutions. We’re responsible for the systems that deliver critical weather and climate data to users across the UK and beyond, using scalable APIs and cloud-native services to provide fast, reliable access to forecast and observation data.
As a Developer in Data Services, you’ll work with a highly collaborative set of squads and engineering solutions using Python and AWS Cloud Computing to bridge the gap between advanced scientific modelling and the platforms our users rely on every day. You’ll be handling terabytes of data daily, learning weather data, and supporting and releasing into our live systems with a focus on system performance, scalability and reliability.
This is your opportunity to be part of something bigger – developing modern, cloud-based solutions that have a wide-reaching and positive impact, helping millions of people to stay safe and thrive.
We operate an on-call roster in Technology to provide 24/7/365 support to respond to operational service requirements. This post may be part of an on-call roster and the postholder would be required to participate in an on-call roster where in operation.
We invest in our people to unlock their full potential. As a Software Developer, we will support you to develop and thrive to be the best you can be. You will be given up to half a day per week to improve your skills through non-project learning. We champion positive physical and mental health in the workplace and are committed to being an inclusive organisation, providing a working culture that actively values an equal and diverse workforce.
Our work is life-changing, often lifesaving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified and features on industry lists for Best Workplaces in Tech and Best Workplaces for Women.
As our Software Developer, your total reward package will be up to £51,648 annually, which includes:
* An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
* Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) of £2,200 per annum as a market supplement, payable from April 2024 to March 2026 in monthly pay
* Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days after 5 years, with option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave
Essential Criteria, skills and experience
* Programming and build (software engineering): collaborate with others to review specifications, design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools. (Lead Criteria)
* Development process optimisation: explain the importance of process efficiency and how processes are optimised; support activities to improve development processes and spot obvious deficiencies.
* Service support: help fix faults following agreed procedures and carry out maintenance tasks on infrastructure.
* Systems Design: translate logical designs into physical designs; produce detailed designs and document work using required standards and tools; design systems with appropriate risk, complexity and impact; work with well-understood technology and identify patterns.
* Systems integration: build and test simple interfaces between systems; contribute to more complex integration as part of a wider team.
The panel may perform a preliminary sift of the lead criteria as indicated above.
How to apply
If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application. Please upload your CV and submit a supporting statement with evidence against the essential criteria (approx. 500 words).
If shortlisted, you will be invited to complete a technical challenge focusing on essential criteria 2. If you pass, you will be invited to interview.
Closing date 08/02/2026 at 23:59 with pre-interview stage commencing 18/02/2026 and closing 01/03/2026; interviews commence 18/03/2026.
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 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 need adjustments, please get in touch. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. If offered an interview, there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the DisabilityConfidentScheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria.
We understand that great minds don’t always think alike and, as an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applications from 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. You may need to meet security clearance requirements, including residence in the UK for the required period, with clearance to be achieved within the first 6 months.
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