'My tech role has tangible benefits to people’s lives'

The Met Office was always on my radar as a career destination. I’d heard about the culture of innovation as well as the impact and benefit of what we do. So, when I received my formal offer, I swiftly answered yes! 

I joined in November 2023 as a software developer within a technology delivery team. I soon realised my perception of the company culture was accurate. Likewise, it became apparent that my role (and the broader purpose of what we do) has a tangible and measurable impact on people’s lives. So, I know the work I do has purpose and significance, which makes me feel proud.

I’m offered the opportunity to learn about the importance of the projects I contribute to, including the critical needs of the people we serve. One of our values is we’re a force for good. This isn’t something I need to actively try to accomplish, because it’s so engrained into both our culture and the day-to-day working environment. 

My team focus on building infrastructure and applications that process and store a variety of meteorological observations. The team is considered 'Agile': a way of working adopted by many software delivery teams across the globe to improve efficiency and quality when building solutions. I had no formal experience with Agile before this role, but getting ongoing support from my colleagues empowered me to hit the ground running and contribute effectively straight away. The managers within my team appreciate and respect my opinions, which makes me feel valued. We all work together to ensure everyone’s skillsets are utilised, and we reach our potential. 

One of the most exciting aspects of my role is having the freedom to explore new technological avenues. I’m afforded ample opportunity to conduct spikes (brief, open-ended investigations) and dip my toes into exotic (but still relevant!) domains. Being trusted in this way has enabled me to develop while contributing to my team’s output. Before joining the Met Office, I couldn’t have imagined this approach being viable in a software delivery team, and it’s this forward-thinking spirit that keeps me excited and motivated. 

I’ve also valued having the opportunity to be involved in a cross-department initiative related to our quality assurance standards and processes. This is something I’m passionate about, and it’s reassuring to know it’s of utmost importance across the office.  

I enjoy the real sense of community within the wider organisation. This means real people show a genuine and keen interested in the work and wellbeing of others. There’s a wealth of Met Office sports and social clubs as well as staff networks.  I’m part of various programming communities of practice, consisting of users from across the Met Office who meet monthly to share tools and practices. Soon after I joined, my colleagues encouraged me to start a group myself, exploring the Rust programming language. Now we have more than 30 members and are planning various group activities and initiatives. 

Alongside my role with the Met Office, I’ve recently started a part-time master’s degree in data science. Since I first discussed it with my line manager, they have gone above-and-beyond to support me, which I’ve really appreciated. The course is adjacent, but not identical, to the work I do in the office. This has enabled me to take things I’ve learned back to my team as part of our weekly sessions for knowledge sharing and roundtable discussions. 

The Met Office is continually exploring new ways to embrace technology. This reassures me that there’s ample opportunity for me to develop and broaden my knowledge. Technology is constantly evolving, especially now in areas like Machine Learning and Generative AI. So, it’s encouraging to see a collective effort to ensure we keep moving forward. 

This article was published in October 2024