Our vision is to be recognised as the best weather and climate service in the world. Leading-edge science, innovation and research are crucial for us to meet that goal. From the technical aspects of collecting weather data, to world-leading numerical models, to state-of-the-art software, science goes to the core of our business.

Scientific roles

We offer a range of roles which are as varied as the work we do, and strive to provide an environment in which our scientists can maximise the potential of their knowledge and expertise. We place considerable emphasis on career development, using a Scientific Skills Framework that provides a clear career path, allowing individuals to understand how they can develop so they can plan and realise their career aspirations accordingly. We also regularly assess the contributions of all our scientists, encouraging those who excel in their field to apply for progression into a more senior role.

Some of our scientific roles are primarily IT based and focus on the development and maintenance of specialised scientific software applications which underpin Met Office Science Programmes. At the Met Office we call these roles Scientific Software Engineers. People in these roles have the opportunity to combine their strong scientific and IT skills to work closely with scientists.

As in many professions, progression can mean moving into a management position. However, we recognise this may not always meet with the aspirations and skills of each individual. We also recognise that in addition to scientific generalists, we want people to develop world-leading expertise in specialist subjects. Hence we have also created a parallel 'Expert' and 'Fellowship' route to suit the career aspirations of these individuals.  There are also opportunities for scientists to move into other parts of the Met Office such as sales and marketing, IT and forecasting

Each broad role comprises a distinct but related set of responsibilities which become more comprehensive in relation to seniority. As people progress in their roles, they have more autonomy to shape the nature of their research. The speed at which an individual can progress through the career structure is mainly dependent upon how quickly they develop and how well they can demonstrate the extent of their contribution through the quality of their work.

Our Scientific Professional Skills Framework, depicting each broad role and where it sits, and the typical career paths available, is shown below. Progression up the career framework is dependent upon both the capabilities of the individual, and the need for work to be done at that level.

There is a similar career framework for those roles that are predominantly IT based, and the typical career paths available are shown below.

Entry requirements and selection criteria (what do I need for which role?)

A sound background in physics or maths to at least degree level is essential to be considered for roles within the science profession. To drive forward research and development, we recruit, train and develop people with knowledge and expertise, often at international expert level, in the following fields.

• Mathematics
• Numerical analysis
• Statistics
• Fluid dynamics
• Atmospheric physics (e.g. dynamics, radiation, cloud processes, dispersion)
• Climate research
• Satellite meteorology and remote sensing
• Atmospheric chemistry
• Ocean modelling
• Meteorological instrumentation development and scientific computing

The criteria below give you an idea of the things we look for when recruiting into the science profession.

• Scientific insight and independence - the level of input required for the person to produce quality scientific output
• Underpinning scientific and technical skills, experience and knowledge - these will be different depending on the job you apply for but examples are skills, experience and knowledge about; data analysis, solving equations, numerical methods, parametrization techniques, chemical reactions, instrument design, experimental design.
• Scientific strategic thinking
• Scientific leadership, coaching and mentoring
• An ability to communicate science to a variety of audiences
• Use of scientific IT applications, numerical models and instrumentation
• Programming and software development - This includes all types of programming and scripting. The levels are broadly based on the Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) [SFIA Levels 2-5] as provided by the British Computer Society but are applied here to the smaller but specific area of computing developments in a scientific context.

For those Science jobs that are primarily IT based we look for evidence against the following criteria.

• Application expertise - This describes the level of expertise required to work (support, maintain, develop) effectively on the applications used for a particular job. It will include demonstration of technical leadership in the areas of expertise.
• Tools and platform expertise - This describes knowledge of the computing platforms, languages and tools required to do the job effectively.
• User representation - This describes the ability to represent users at various levels.
• Background in science - This requires a generic background in science to be defined for the Met Office. A background of science knowledge is required for effective communication with scientists and for delivering scientific applications in a computing or other technical environment. This includes the ability to select and develop appropriate scientific techniques within a technical framework.
• SFIA BCS levels - This set of skill levels is based on the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA).

To find out more about our weather and climate science, follow the links below.

More about science

More about Climate science

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