Marine Systems Technician Apprenticeship - Level 3

Job summary

The Met Office is delighted to open our advertising for Apprenticeships 2026.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Met Office as a Marine Systems Technician Apprentice for up to 52 months commencing at the start of August 2026. You will develop skills and workplace experience in this occupation which may lead to a permanent position on successful completion of your apprenticeship or the knowledge to gain employment within the wider industry.

As our Marine Systems Technician Apprentice, 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. As apprentices are part of our Early Careers Programme, there is the expectation you attend the office once a week as a minimum in addition to your study day.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, based in Southampton. 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’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

This apprenticeship can offer you the support, training and industry recognised qualifications to get you on the path to a career in Engineering.

You will work with the Marine Systems Engineering (MSE) Team, which is a small team of 7 specialist engineers who have responsibility for ensuring our systems continue to supply the high-quality data required to produce our weather forecasts products and services.

Our Marine Observing Network collects environmental observations from a range of Autonomous systems including Moored Buoys, Light Vessels, Voluntary Observing Ships and Argo Floats. You will be involved in maintaining the systems to keep the network running, with time in the office and offshore. You will help us to keep transforming our systems to ensure we continue to deliver high-quality data across the marine network.

On joining MSE you will be given all the training required to work on new and existing systems as well as having the opportunity to use and develop your existing skills and knowledge. We have a clear framework for development within the Met Office's Engineering Profession, so you'll have the opportunity to grow your skills and make a real difference.

Your key duties:

• Maintain Automatic Marine Observation Systems across our Marine Network. Including working with systems on Met Ocean Data Buoys, Light Vessels and Voluntary Observation Ships. Maintenance work is predominately based at our facility at Southampton's National Oceanography Centre.
• Assemble, test and repair advanced weather observation instrumentation, data logging systems and satellite communication systems.
• Opportunities for UK and International Travel to undertake servicing visits. This includes visiting offshore sites on a chartered buoy laying vessel for periods of 1-10 days several times a year, predominately in the summer period. This work requires ENG1 Seafarers and Working at Height Medicals, Working at Height and Personal Survival Techniques training, all provided by the Met Office.
• Work within established Health and Safety Systems including Working at Height up to 10 meters.

Training delivery and support

The apprenticeship standard you will follow will be the Engineering Maintenance Technician - Dual Discipline, Electrical and Control Instrumentation Engineering Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship - Level 3.

We would look for you to join us in August 2026 with your apprenticeship training beginning shortly afterwards.

You will be managed by a line manager and have a mentor to offer further support. You will have on the job training and in house development opportunities during your apprenticeship.

Throughout the Apprenticeship you will have 1 day per week dedicated to your 20% off the job training with the training provider, Southampton Engineering Training Association (SETA). They will deliver the off the job training in a face-to-face style. You will have tutors delivering classroom and practical workshop-based learning sessions. These will be intensive 1-month modules in the first year alternating between 1 month at college and 1 month in the workplace. You will also have regular review meetings with your dedicated workplace assessor and line manager.

As well as the taught content, there will be a large amount of self-study, regular assignments and an end-point assessment period. You must be committed to your own development and training as this element forms a significant aspect of a modern apprenticeship.

Please note: Before applying, we recommend you consider if the delivery method suits your learner needs. We would also recommend you look at the information about the apprenticeship on the training providers website as well as researching the requirements of an apprenticeship to help you decide whether an apprenticeship is right for you.

Person specification

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

• Have achieved or expect to achieve Maths GCSE (Grade 5+ or A*-C)
• Have an interest or experience in electrical and/or electronic Engineering and willing to Keep Evolving by learning new skills.
• Have experience of working Better Together in a team and supporting others to achieve a common goal.
• Have an interest in undertaking occasional opportunities to work in an offshore marine environment on buoy laying vessels and at heights of up to 10m on our deep ocean buoys and Trinity House light vessels. This work requires ENG1 Seafarers and Working at Height Medicals, Working at Height and Personal Survival Techniques training, all provided by the Met Office.
• Are a Force for Good with interest or experience in benefiting the environment or your local community.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £23,400, Met Office contributes £6,778 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 and 2024 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.

As our Marine Systems Technician Apprentice Level 3, your starting salary will be £23,400 and you will have the opportunity to progress to £24,700 over time.

Your total reward package is potentially worth up to £33,434 annually, which includes basic salary, potential corporate bonus and employer pension contributions.

We also offer:

• 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
• Access to discounted shopping, inclusive of retail, leisure and lifestyle brands

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

Am I eligible to apply?

In addition to the criteria listed above, you must also be eligible to qualify for apprenticeship funding by meeting the following:

• Not be enrolled on another funded apprenticeship or another funded further education or higher education programme at the time you start this apprenticeship.
• Are applying for an apprenticeship that is unrelated to any qualifications you already hold at the same or higher level than this apprenticeship.
• Are living in England at the time the apprenticeship commences

Please note: suitability and eligibility will also need to be verified by the training provider.

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 (this could include voluntary or work experience roles) 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. Please read the Early Careers Programmes Application Guidance at the bottom of this advert for more guidance.

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.

Closing date: 23:59 8th March 2026. Please note we often receive a high volume of applications, but we will contact everyone who applies once the closing date has passed.

Interviews will be completed by end of April 2026.

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

ApplicationTips_EarlyCareers2025.pdf

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