Meteorological Forecaster

 

Background information

The Met office provides a world-leading meteorological service that significantly contributes to saving and improving lives and infrastructure both in the UK and around the world. Commercial, Defence, Aviation and Public Weather Service (PWS) forecasting teams provide a wide range of services and severe weather warnings to a wide variety of customers. We have an ongoing requirement for trained forecasters and recruit regularly for trainee forecasters.

Purpose of the job

To ensure customers receive timely forecast products, services and weather warnings in the required format. To provide forecast product and service support, as well as advice and assistance to colleagues and internal and external customers.

Main responsibilities

• Deliver a range of forecast products and services to specified job schedules to customer requirements.
• Analyse and enhance forecast model products and, using local knowledge, deliver them to the customer in a style that will suit their requirements.
• Contribute to the team decision-making process and issue weather warnings as necessary.
• Take responsibility for operational output, and provide advice and assistance on operational output, products and services to internal and external customers.
• Support other team members as required to deliver forecast products and services to meet customer needs.
• Dependent on location, you may have responsibility for shift-working colleagues.

Qualifications required

 

Essential

• You should hold a degree in a science-based subject and have successfully completed the Forecaster Foundation Training Programme or equivalent.

Knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours required

 

Essential

• Demonstrate previous experience of operational meteorology.
• Demonstrate excellent team working that focuses on service delivery to the customer.
• Proven ability to communicate meteorological information in a clear and concise manner to other forecast staff as well as to non-meteorological staff and customers.
• Willing and able to work on an operational shift working roster.

Additional information

Work location will either be the Operations Centre, Exeter/Aberdeen or at a frontline UK Defence station. Depending on prior training and/or experience, some training may be required, which will be carried out at the Met Office College, Exeter.

The majority of Forecaster posts entail shift working with the pattern dependent on the customer and location.  Shifts can vary, with additional shifts to cover peaks in demand and, in some cases, standby shifts during quiet periods. Applicants need to be aware that they are expected to cover, at short notice, additional shifts caused by sickness and other absence and will be expected to detach to other locations to cover shifts there if necessary. Annual leave may be restricted at some locations during peak periods.

With further training, there are also opportunities to work overseas either at Met Office locations or other deployed Operations with the Mobile Met. Unit.

Benefits and facilities

• As an employee of the Met Office you will be eligible to join the Nuvos Civil Service Pension Scheme with a low employee contribution. This is a defined benefit scheme which the Met Office, as an employer, contributes to. You also have the option to join a partnership scheme where the employer can contribute and the employee can contribute if you wish. For more details please see the Civil Service Pensions website.
• Annual Leave allowance of 25 days (plus 8 days public holiday and 2½ privilege days taken at fixed times during the year).
• Training opportunities.
• Performance-related pay.
• The Met Office sports and social club.
• The potential to work in different areas within the same organisation. Employees are expected to complete 24 months in post before applying for alternative posts within the Met Office.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled applicants

To widen the pool of candidates on which to draw, we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the published minimum criteria for the post/entry level.

To qualify for a guaranteed interview, you do not have to be registered as a disabled person but you must have a disability or long-term health condition that puts you at a substantial disadvantage in either obtaining or keeping employment. The disability must be likely to last for at least 12 months.

To apply for a guaranteed interview, please complete the appropriate section of the application form. When appropriate, you should provide details of any particular arrangements you will require for the interview, e.g. car parking, speech facilitator.

Any false declaration of disability to obtain an interview may invalidate any resultant contract of employment.

Relocation

Unless stated in the job advert, financial support is not available for candidates to move to the job location.

Mobility

Normally, staff appointed at Job Level 4 and above automatically have a mobility clause in their employment contract, which means they may be required to serve at other UK mainland locations. Some Job Level 5 staff may also have a mobility commitment, depending upon the job.

Nationality requirements

In common with all United Kingdom (UK) Civil Service departments and Executive Agencies, applicants for employment in the Met Office are required to satisfy certain nationality requirements. For full guidance see the UK Home Office 'Working in the UK' website, where you will find information about working in the UK.

Again, in common with all UK Civil Service departments and Executive Agencies, some posts in the Met Office are 'reserved' for UK nationals only. Applicants who are not UK nationals should be aware that further career prospects might be affected.

Application forms and further information

Download application form (PDF, 653 kb)

Guidance notes and information for applicants (PDF, 58 kb)

Download equal opportunities form (PDF, 922 kb - to be returned along with the application form)

If you require a Word version of the application form, please e-mail HREnquiries@metoffice.gov.uk including the words 'application request' in the subject line. An automatic e-mail will be returned to you immediately. If you have not received an e-mail within 48 hours then please contact us.

Alternatively, you can call or write to:

HR Customer Services
Met Office
FitzRoy Road
Exeter
EX1 3PB

Tel: 01392 885000

Please mark your request or returned application form: Meteorological Forecaster 001365 (P)

Thank you for your interest if you apply for this position. However, due to the high numbers that apply for positions in the Met Office we are unable to reply to each applicant individually. Therefore, if you have had no response from us within four weeks of the closing date you may assume you have been unsuccessful.