Job Description

Details

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Reference number

402111
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Salary

26,954 - 29,531
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
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Job grade

Higher Executive Officer###

Contract type

Permanent###

Type of role

Engineering###

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time###

Number of jobs available

3

Contents

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Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information

Location

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Exeter, South West England, EX1 3PB

About the job

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Job summary

We're looking for three exceptional Foundation Scientific Software Engineer - Data Systems to help us make a difference to our planet.


As our Foundation Scientific Software Engineer - Data Systems, 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, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 20 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share. 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.

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Job description

World changing work


From science to technology, from meteorology to management, and from planning to communication, 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

Your world of expertise


Data is a key part of achieving real-world impacts through our climate research and weather forecasts. It is increasingly the differentiator in the machine learning (ML) revolution in weather and climate modelling.


We are advertising multiple scientific software engineer (SSE) job opportunities in scientific data engineering to help us make a big difference in these areas, from the next iteration of international climate model intercomparisons (CMIP) and other climate initiatives, to processing our weather forecast data at huge scales, to maximising the benefit and impact of data for the new wave of research into ML forecasting and climate modelling.


You will be a key part of enabling and pulling through world-class science, with a fully featured scientific software engineering career path.


There are three teams advertising posts:


The Data Delivery team is at the heart of getting much of our climate modelling data out to the global research community, industry, and others. It is responsible for developing, maintaining, and supporting the use of the Climate Data Dissemination System (CDDS). CDDS is a suite of Python code and cylc workflows primarily developed to support the delivery of large volumes of standardised climate model output to international activities such as the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). Development over the last few years has made it possible to apply the same processes to model output for other projects and we are looking for SSEs to assist in the further generalisation and adaptation to new projects as we approach the next round of CMIP.


The ML Datasets team was launched in response to the amazing revolution in data-driven ML forecasting over the last 2-3 years. The Met Office has recognised the need to build on its strength in data creation and invest in training datasets to contribute to this field, in flagship programmes for weather and climate (AI4NWP, AI4Climate). The datasets we need are diverse and include real and simulated observations, socio-economic data, regional modelling hindcasts, third-party observations, and reanalysis data to CMIP6 projections (working with the Data Delivery team!). The team will be involved in developing and scoping technology to create, manage, and deploy these across a range of platforms, and in prototyping their use.


The Verification, Impacts, and Post-Processing Systems team manages the processing and delivery of weather forecast data to get our many terabytes of weather forecast data per day useful, usable, and used, working closely with scientists. The team create and maintain a variety of Python based workflows (notably StaGE and IMPROVER) for standardising model data and combining multiple data sources to add value to the Met Office weather forecast products. The post in this team will play a key role in adapting to our next generations of physical and ML based models at unprecedented scale, including preparing changes to our 24/7 operations.


Your key duties:

Deliver improvements in capability for colleagues and/or stakeholders through the effective application of scientific software engineering knowledge, understanding and skills. Provide proactive scientific and technical insight into the solving of scientific software engineering tasks or problems to help enable great science and technology. Engage with others to understand the requirements for your work and its wider context. Consider good Quality Assurance processes, best practice, standards and/or regulations in your work. Communicate accurately and concisely with colleagues and wider stakeholders, including scientists, modellers, and non-technical audiences. Develop your skills proactively and provide support to others to develop their skills. ###

Person specification

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

Technical Skills. Evidence of showing technical insight through creation of software solutions. (value: Experts By Nature) Data Skills. Evidence of a keen interest in high quality datasets and experience in working with data to achieve beneficial impacts, preferably scientific or geospatial. (value: Live and Breathe It) Understanding Requirements. Evidence of engaging with others to understand the requirements for your work and its wider context. (value: Better Together) Quality Assurance: Evidence of considering good Quality Assurance processes, best practice, standards and/or regulations in your work. (value: Experts by Nature, Live and Breathe It) Communication. Evidence of communicating knowledge accurately and concisely in written documents and group discussions. (value: Better Together) Skills Development. Evidence of proactively developing your skills and supporting others in developing their skills. (value: We Keep Evolving)

Benefits

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Alongside your salary of 26,954, Met Office contributes 7,808 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
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 and 2024 lists, as well as their '54 Best Workplaces for Women' 2023 list.


As our Foundation Scientific Software Engineer - Data Systems, your total reward package will be up to 40,480 annually, which includes:

26,954 base pay An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97% Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) you will be paid 2,200 per annum as a market supplement to reflect the demand for your skills. Whilst in post, you will be paid this market driven allowance from April 2024 until September 2025 in your monthly pay Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave

Things you need to know

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Selection process details

If you share our values, we'd love to hear from you! Click apply to begin your application. Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire. We recommend candidates use the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) for presenting evidence of experience and skills.


Closing date 11/05/2025 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 27/05/2025. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.


How we can help


If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk.


If you're considering applying and need support to do so, please get in touch. You can request adjustments either within your application or by contacting us. Should you be offered an interview, please be aware there may be a selection exercise which could include a presentation, written test or a scenario-based activity. You can select in your application to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.


We understand that great minds don't always think alike and as an equal opportunities employer we welcome applications from those with all protected characteristics. We recruit on merit, fairness, and open competition in line with the Civil Service Code.


We can only accept applications from those eligible to live and work in the UK - please refer to GOV.UK for information. We require Security clearance, for which you need to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years to be eligible. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.###

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .



See our vetting charter .
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.###

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.###

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:


UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
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Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.



We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.###

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.###

Contact point for applicants

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Job contact :

Name : Resourcing Team Email : careers@metoffice.gov.uk
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Recruitment team

* Email : careers@metoffice.gov.uk