Senior Scientist in Earth System Modelling

Job Reference: metoffice/TP/352/1333

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract

Working Hours: 37

Closing Date: 26/06/2026

Profession: Science

Region / Division: UK Region

Careers website category: Science

We’re looking for an exceptional Senior Scientist in Earth System Modelling to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Senior Scientist in Earth System Modelling, 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.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week. 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.

Whilst this is a temporary position for 30 months due to funding provided by the EU Horizon Europe FUTURA project, there is potential for it to develop into a permanent position.

• We’rea force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
• We’reexperts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
• We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision - making
• We’rebetter together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make usgreater
• We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

The successful candidate will join the joint Met Office-NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) UKESM science team that develops, evaluates and applies the UK Earth System Model (UKESM) model in a range of science and policy-oriented initiatives. One key international activity we are currently involved in is the 7th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP7). FUTURA brings together the majority of European groups working on Earth system modelling, regional downscaling, climate impacts modelling, and integrated assessment models.

FUTURA will be the primary European contribution to CMIP7 and IPCC AR7 and aims to develop a more streamlined and sustainable mode for delivery of global to local climate and climate impacts information.

This role will focus on the realisation and analysis of the CMIP7 Assessment Fast Track experiments using our latest state-of-the-art model, UKESM2 (due to be finalised later this year), as part of the FUTURA project. Areas of analysis will focus on evaluation of the CMIP characterization experiments (DECK) and future scenario projections (Scenario

MIP) with opportunities to explore Earth system forcing and feedbacks, warming overshoot, net zero and negative emission pathways, climate reversibility, and abrupt/rapid change in the Earth system. The exact focus will depend on the expertise and interests of the successful candidate.

• Set‑up and run key CMIP7 and other novel experiments designed within the FUTURA project with UKESM models.
• Contribute to evaluation and wider analysis of these simulations. Areas of potential focus, depending on expertise and interest, could include Earth system forcings and feedback; implications of climate overshoot; efficacy of negative emissions for climate cooling and reversibility; abrupt/rapid Earth system change.
• Contribute to the delivery of UKESM data to facilitate its use by downstream activities, e.g. climate impacts and regional downscaling, within FUTURA.
• Work with colleagues both inside and outside of the Met Office to facilitate and lead multi‑model analysis through the international FUTURA consortium.
• Present and publish your results in the peer‑reviewed scientific literature and interpret them for non‑specialist audiences.

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 Senior Scientist in Earth System Modelling, your total reward package will be up to £60,268 annually, which includes:

• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave starting at 27.5…