Social Scientist

Job summary

We’re looking for a Social Scientist to help us deliver impactful weather and climate services that make a difference to our planet.

As our Social Scientist, 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 may be based at various UK Met Office sites, depending on availability and suitability for the role.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 20 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share. 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.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to shape our weather and climate products and services.

You will lead the input of social and behavioural science into the design and delivery of our products and services. Through strong thought leadership, you'll grow the Met Office’s social science capability, supporting our strategic aims and enhancing our world-class impact.

Your key duties:

• Drive the successful integration of social science with physical and data science at the Met Office.
• Be a leader, developer and coordinator of the emerging Environmental Social Science Function within the Met Office.
• Be the focus for external collaborations with shared interests and activities around use of social science in meteorology, climate science, natural hazards and operational decision-making.
• Provide expert advice to colleagues across the organisation, translating business needs into high quality research plans and ensuring effective delivery.
• Provide a social science perspective to the translation of science into effective communications, including government policy advice.
• Leading the design and delivery of training to build capability in social science methods across the organisation.

Person specification

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

1. A PhD in Social Sciences, or equivalent, with proven experience of applying social science knowledge within a weather and/or climate context. (Lead Criteria)
2. Demonstrated ability to define a clear and achievable vision for social science within an organisation, and to plan and deliver progress against it. (We keep evolving)
3. Good interpersonal skills with the ability to manage, motivate, develop and empower staff around use of social science and its associated research skills. Experience working closely with other government departments, research agencies, and other stakeholders to inform service design and/or strategic decision making. (We're better together)
4. Evidence of being a recognised academic leader at the interface between meteorology and social science, with substantial contributions to scientific research, technological advancement and thought leadership. (We're experts by nature)
5. An excellent communicator, able to translate evidence into actionable outcomes and maintain valuable relationships with colleagues, customers and stakeholders.

The panel may perform a preliminary sift of the lead criteria as indicated above.

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.

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 Social Scientist, 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%.
• 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

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 11/05/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 18/05/2026. 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 : Careers@metoffice.gov.uk
• Email : Careers@metoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Careers@metoffice.gov.uk

Further information

https://careers.metoffice.gov.uk/key-roles-met-office/science