Senior Scientist - Surface Observations R&D

Senior Scientist - Surface Observations R&D at the Met Office is a full-time role based in Exeter, United Kingdom. Hybrid working (part in the office, part at home) is available. The location advertised will be your contractual place of work. The role is 37 hours per week, with consideration for a minimum of 30 hours per week.

From science to technology, from meteorology to management, our expertise helps us stand out as the authority on weather accuracy and climate prediction. We help individuals, industries and government to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. This is the Met Office. This is who we are.

• We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
• We’re experts 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’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
• We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Observations are fundamental to almost everything we do at the Met Office. Our network of surface observations measures the atmosphere and feeds data into models used to predict both weather and climate, as well as providing a historical record of the climate. This work helps people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.

• Designing field trials for meteorological instruments and coordinating a multi-disciplinary team to deliver them.
• Analysing data from these trials and those of others, using code that you will have written to a demanding quality standard.
• Developing software tools and processes that enable the team to work efficiently and effectively.
• Communicating your results and recommendations, including through peer-reviewed publication and working with the international meteorology community.
• Proactively developing your skills and knowledge to stay up-to-date with advancements in meteorological measurements and techniques, including developing deep expertise in key observations.

Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified and featured on Best Workplaces in Tech lists in 2023 and 2024, as well as Best Workplaces for Women in 2023.

Total reward package up to £58,419 annually, including:

• £41,725 base pay
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays), rising to 32.5 days after 5 years, with option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year

• A physical science or engineering background equivalent to degree level and several years of relevant experience.
• Experience of leading scientific or engineering tasks to solve a range of scientific or technical challenges, including in unfamiliar areas, with the ability to prioritise between competing activities.
• Experience of communicating technical and scientific knowledge accurately and concisely to technical experts, non-specialist stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Proven ability to mentor and support others to develop their skills, leading to successful project delivery and improved team collaboration.
• Experience of independently designing and writing Python (or similar high-level language) code to produce high-quality analyses of complex environmental datasets.
• Experience of applying, promoting and supporting good quality assurance processes in all aspects of your work.

• Familiarity with running and/or analysing trials of environmental sensors including processing and interpreting the resulting data.

If you share our values,…