This is world-defining work
Careers in Science
This is world-defining work
Careers in Science
A world-class
science community
With the world’s most powerful weather and climate forecasting supercomputer in the UK, the scientific breakthroughs we make are world-changing. But the supercomputer is nothing without the agile minds and creative thinking of over 700 experts in our science community. As we embrace machine learning and AI alongside the physical sciences, our scientific research and data will translate into real-world customer benefits through more accurate prediction and preparation for the world of tomorrow. Whether you’re a foundation scientist, a scientific consultant or a senior scientific software engineer, you’ll find an incredible breadth and depth of work here. From climate change to atmospheric dispersion, no other organisation can allow you to have such an impact on meteorological science and help people stay safe and thrive.
Our Science career families
Scientists
Scientific Consultants
Scientific Software Engineers
Scientists
If you’re a scientist with natural curiosity to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, the inspiration you seek can be found right here. And we can only pursue our goals with world-class scientists building our reputation through advanced research and development. You’ll be part of a diverse, 400 strong team which includes mathematicians, meteorological scientists, data scientists and weather and climate experts. Our backgrounds are incredibly diverse, but we all share a passion for discovery. So, if you are straight out of university, or a seasoned professional, you’ll be joining a team committed to world-changing work.
Scientific Consultants
Do you have a science background and are interested in ensuring your science is useful, usable and used right now? Do you enjoy collaborating with others and managing relationships? Then a role as a scientific consultant might be for you. As a consultant you get to work directly with customers to understand their operations and decision-making processes. And also scope and undertake the investigations to develop and deliver our world-class weather and climate science to identify risk and help them to make strategic choices. Helping industry stay safe and thrive – to cope with the challenges they are facing both now and in the future – supporting the path to net zero.
Scientific Software Engineers
Our software engineers and computational experts are an integral part of our science team. The tools, programming languages and operating systems that we use include C, Fortran, C++, Python, Perl and Unix/Linux. For entry level roles, we don’t expect you to know all of those languages, but you need to be keen to learn. As a customer-focused organisation, it’s hugely important to us that you really understand our customers’ needs and develop software that meets their expectations. Your softer skills should impress us as much as your software skills and you should feel at home liaising with scientists and engaging with their work to get the best results
The types of projects you could be working on
World Climate Research Programme
This is a joint programme of the World Meteorological Organization, the International Council for Science and the International Oceanographic Commission. It was established to understand the predictability of climate and the impact of human activities on climate. It focuses on aspects of climate which are too complex to be tackled by a single nation or scientific discipline.
Advancing Arctic Capabilities Programme
The Arctic is undergoing rapid change in response to global warming, with sea ice loss making it more accessible to shipping, and permafrost melt causing difficulties with land infrastructure. This programme works with partners to improve the modelling capabilities, products and services that support those working in the Arctic, now and in the future.
A framework for data science in the Met Office
The Met Office Data Science Framework sets out how we will realise the potential that data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence can offer for weather and climate science and services. Building the critical infrastructure and delivering pilot projects that bring to life what can be achieved in this important area of research.
Bespoke forecast services for the water industry
An OFWAT Innovation funded consultancy project working with Thames Water and others, combines meteorological forecast data and customer information to create bespoke sub-seasonal forecasts to highlight the risk of high water demand and weather-related impacts on wastewater operations further in advance than currently possible.
Investing in your development
The Science Profession provides a structured career map to guide our scientists, scientific software engineers and scientific consultants through the learning and development that they need to progress their career. We support a wide range of different jobs, some broad, some specialist, at different levels of responsibility, and will work with you to find the role that suits you the best. We offer a broad range of learning and development opportunities, from short, in-house, courses to opportunities to study for higher degrees, and we will support your learning through on-the-job experiences with a diverse set of project work.
More about Our Science Profession Skills FrameworkGrowing with
the Met Office
At more senior levels, you may want to move into a management position – there’s plenty of opportunity for that. But this may not meet everyone’s career aspirations. You might prefer to focus on developing world-class expertise in a specialist subject – there’s plenty of opportunity for that too. As you progress with us, you’ll have more scope to shape the nature of your research.
Your skills, insight and experience will become increasingly useful to those working outside of the Met Office too, as you nurture and develop partnerships that reach beyond the UK. Our ‘Expert’ and ‘Fellowship’ routes are designed to help people break new scientific ground on a global scale and become world-class ambassadors for meteorological science.
Some key partnerships
Momentum® Partnership
A partnership that allows scientific and technical collaboration on the science and technical infrastructure that underpins Momentum®. This benefits from the diverse strengths and specialisations of the nine organisations in this Partnership, from eight different countries across the world, including Australia, Singapore and India.
Met Office Academic Partnership
This partnership brings together research excellence from the Met Office and eight of the principal UK Universities to advance weather and climate science. Working to maintain the UK’s world leading status in weather prediction, climate projection and climate science, as well as inspiring the next generation of scientists, technologists and leaders.
Joint Centre of Excellence in Environmental Intelligence
This Joint Centre between the Met Office and the University of Exeter is pioneering the use of environmental intelligence to provide the meaningful insight needed to inform decision-making and improve risk management, supporting us with a sustainable interaction with the natural environment and delivery of Net Zero.
UK National Climate Science Partnership
Bringing together Natural Environment Research Council supported research centres and the Met Office to shape a world-leading, strategic partnership that works with the public and private sectors. Ensuring businesses and decision-makers have access to the information they need to adapt to the pressing challenges posed by climate change.
Meet some of the team
Emily Wallace
Science Fellow, Weather and Climate Extremes and Impacts Team
The Weather and Climate Extremes and Impacts Team was formed in response to multiple extreme events in the UK. Our customers are dealing with the impacts of severe weather and are more routinely asking questions that blur the lines between what would have traditionally been thought of separately as weather services and climate services. The work we do is critical in our changing world as we bring together teams to provide seamless services to help people stay safe.
Jessica Standen
Managing Scientific Consultant
I have been at the Met Office since graduating and have been able to work my way from a foundation scientist to a manager. I enjoy working with customers on the application of science, helping them operate more safely and efficiently and enabling them to be more resilient to the weather both now and in the future. I get to see how the work of the team is directly having impact and benefit to industry and society.
Anna Whitford
Scientific Consultant
Coming from an academic background I wanted to be able to develop new research approaches, but I also wanted a change towards being more impact-focused, where the science I produced would be both useful and used right away. My work is supporting customers to better understand the impact of climate change on their business, with the added benefit of gaining experience on a wide range of projects - there is always something new to learn!
Rhiannon Davies
Senior Scientific Software Engineer
There is a great variety of work here, sometimes I can be applying new science to one of our models, improving some of our internal tools, reviewing code, helping someone get the most out of their development plan, or attending a talk to learn new skills. Sometimes I work with older code cleaning it up, so it works better and is more future-proof. It’s always satisfying to see other people working with my improved code.
Exeter HQ Met Office
