Job Description

Job Introduction

We're looking for an exceptional

Senior Scientist - Data Science for Simulation

to help us make a difference to our planet.


As our Senior Scientist - Data Science for Simulation, 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 30 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.

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

You will contribute to research and development in artificial intelligence and machine learning for weather and climate modelling, with an initial focus on advancing the FastNet Machine Learning Weather Prediction model. This work is part of the Artificial Intelligence for Numerical Weather Prediction (AI4NWP) project, a flagship Met Office initiative applying advanced machine learning to weather prediction challenges.You will operate within a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, engineers, and domain experts, collaborating closely with internal and external partners--including other National Meteorological Services, research institutions, and commercial organizations. This role offers the opportunity to build expertise in machine learning and data science while developing innovative solutions for weather and climate applications.

Your key duties:

Lead the scientific development and implementation of machine learning solutions for Earth system applications, with a focus on weather forecasting. Apply software engineering best practices to ensure scientific code is reproducible, scalable, and maintainable; design robust data workflows and optimize advanced machine learning methods for weather and climate data. Communicate research findings through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences and seminars. Collaborate with internal and external domain experts, sharing expertise within the broader scientific and research software engineering community. Mentor junior scientists and help shape the strategic direction of the team.

Why join us

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 - Data Science for Simulation, your total reward package will be up to 60,268 annually, which includes:

43,081 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 (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

We're experts by nature - Experience in developing machine learning solutions in the atmospheric sciences or related domains. We keep evolving - Ability to provide scientific leadership, to generate innovative solutions to complex challenges, to contribute to strategic planning, and to lead the delivery of complex research projects, including leading the work of others. We're Experts by Nature - Proficiency in software engineering and knowledge of quality assurance practices. We're better together - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with proven ability to listen actively, discuss complex scientific and/or technical information clearly and effectively with a range of audiences. Experience of working in collaborative, cross-disciplinary research environments We live and breathe it - Strong organisational skills and ability to work both independently and collaboratively to deliver work on time and aligned with agreed project and organisational objectives. We keep evolving - Commitment to ongoing personal professional development and to supporting others in developing theirs, leading to improved outputs and the career development of others.

How to apply

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 27/01/2026 at 23:59 with interviews commencing from 02/02/2026. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.

Using AI in your application

We welcome applications that use AI tools for support in drafting or refining, as long as they accurately reflect your own skills and experience. All hiring decisions at the Met Office are made by people, not AI. For more details, visit our approach to recruitment.

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, 2 of these years must be immediately preceding the point of your application. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.


If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact us at:

careers@metoffice.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at:

info@csc.gov.uk