Expert Operational Meteorologist

Job summary

We’re looking for an Expert Operational Meteorologist to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Expert Operational Meteorologist, 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.

This post can be based at Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh or Exeter HQ. All successful applicants will be expected to work some shifts from Exeter during their training and induction period.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 18.5 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share.

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’re experts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
• We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
• We’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
• We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Job description

Your world of expertise

As an Expert Operational Meteorologist joining the team, you will have a pivotal role in providing operational weather guidance. This covers the short period through to seasonal, as well as the UK and Global services. You will also have the opportunity to get involved in continuous improvement activities and shaping the future development of the team.

You will be vital in co-ordinating, supporting and delivering National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS) warnings and will support and lead high pressure, high impact decisions in a fast-paced environment. This role enables operational teams in the UK and around the globe to deliver outstanding customer service so that Government, its agencies, the general public, industry and the Met Office stay safe and thrive.

As an Expert in our Meteorology profession your role takes two forms:

• Operational delivery (80%): shift-working and delivering world leading meteorological guidance and advice.
• Non-operational work involved in development and continuous improvement (20%): driving service improvements, supporting training and development and innovation.

Our shift working roster is issued roughly 8 weeks in advance and covers a variety of working patterns as part of an operational 12 hour shift roster, including night shifts. Standard operational shift timings are as follows: Day (0630-1845), Night (1830-0645). Approximately 20% of your time will be non-operational and will be prioritised alongside operational delivery. As such, your working days may be different each week and include weekends and public holidays.

Your key duties:

• Support the Principal Meteorologist to maintain the operational delivery of the National Severe Weather Warning Service to ensure delivery of key Public Weather Service (PWS) milestones.
• Deliver meteorological guidance, products and advice commensurate with the Expert level, driving consistency and excellence in downstream, meteorologist influenced, Met Office output.
• Become an expert communicator and have the capability to translate complex meteorology into language that is universally understood in order to drive positive action.
• Lead and contribute to a range of programmes and projects across the office, providing subject matter expertise to deliver improvements to our capabilities and value added services for our customers through our continuous improvement work in Expert Weather Hub, and also providing input to innovation, science and research.
• Develop relationships with other Met Office teams in the UK and beyond, and International organisations to promote the reputation of the Met Office as a chosen partner.
• To commit to continuous improvement of skills and knowledge, role modelling best practice in maintaining CPD and support to the wider Operational Meteorological profession.

Person specification

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

1. Keep evolving – Demonstrate that you have experience of working across teams to deliver enhanced operational services, improved accuracy or customer experience.
2. Better together – Strong planning and organisational skills and the ability to be agile within a team, with the ability to apply strategic thinking when balancing operational and non-operational priorities
3. Expert by nature – You can demonstrate a broad and high-level knowledge of both theoretical and applied meteorology, coupled with a strong understanding of synoptic climatology and have the ability to translate this knowledge into actionable advice for a wide-ranging audience.
4. Force for good – Demonstrable understanding of how severe weather impacts on society and infrastructure, both in the UK and globally, alongside an understanding of the Met Office and how we work to mitigate impacts.
5. Live and breathe it – Excellent leadership, communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to build and develop relationships, inspire teams and gain engagement from our partners and customers.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,515, Met Office contributes £15,792 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Why join us

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, 2024 and 2025 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.

As our Expert Operational Meteorologist, your total reward package will be up to £75,857 annually, which includes:

• £54,515 base pay.
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Unsociable Hours Allowances (UHA):
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    • Shift Disturbance of £1,200 per annum (pro-rated) as an allowance for shift working.
    • Hourly Rate of £4.50 per hour for qualifying hours working in unsocial hours (20:00hrs - 06:00hrs and weekends).
    • Unsocial hours overtime and bank holiday allowances when applicable.
• 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.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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 08/02/2026 at 23:59 with an assessment planned on either 23rd or 25th February and candidates successful at assessment will be invited to an interview on either 17th or 18th March in Exeter. 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, 2 of these years must be immediately preceding the point of your application. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact us at: careers@metoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: info@csc.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Resourcing Team
• Email : careers@metoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@metoffice.gov.uk