Foundation Scientist - Surface Observations R&D

Met Office; Exeter; On-site; GBP 80,000 - GBP 100,000; Full time

Job description

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Foundation Scientist - Surface Observations R&D

Job Reference metoffice/TP/467/1170

Permanent

Working Hours:

37

Location (City/Town):

Exeter

Closing Date:

02/03/2026

Profession:

Science

Region / Division:

UK Region

Careers website category:

Science

Job Introduction

We’re looking for aFoundation Scientistto join Surface Observations R&D to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Foundation Scientist in Surface Observations R&D,you will work a hybrid pattern and will be on site at Exeter HQ on average three days per week. You can choose to work more frequently in our state‑of‑the‑art office if you'd prefer.You may also be required to travel to other parts of the UK to support field trials, necessitating up to a few days away from home occasionally.

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’reexperts by nature - always learning and developing to do thingsbetter
• 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

Your world of expertise

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 helps people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.

You will join our team of five scientists and engineers within Surface Systems R&D. This is part of the wider Observations R&D area made up of around 40 scientists, engineers and scientific software engineers at different points in their careers, with a range of backgrounds and different academic/career experiences. You will work closely with installation and field engineers as well as those operating the surface observations networks to support the scientific technical development of the surface observations that contribute to our National Capability and ensure they are fit for purpose now and in the future .

• Designing and running field trials, possibly in different locations around the UK.
• Working with research engineers to make your experiment design a reality.
• Analysing the data from your experiments, and those of others, using code that you will have written to a demanding quality standard.
• Making clear recommendations based on the results and successfully communicating them to others.
• Troubleshooting problems with instrument hardware and software.

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 Foundation Scientist - Surface Observations R&D, your total reward package will be up to £40,524 annually, which includes:

• 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:

• Experience in a field with significant physical science, engineering or mathematical content. This could be obtained through working in a relevant area, or an undergraduate degree. (Expert by nature). ( Lead Criteria).
• Use of your scientific/technical insight to solve scientific tasks or problems.
• Experience of writing computer code, preferably Python, and applying this to visualising data and solving scientific problems.
• Experience of applying good quality assurance processes to all aspects of your work.
• Able to communicate scientific/technical knowledge accurately and concisely in a range of situations. (Better together )
• Evidence of working effectively independently and as part of a small team.

The panel may perform a preliminary sift of the lead criteria as indicated above.

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. Please see attached Obs R&D document for tips on writing your application.

Closing date 02/03/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 23/03/2026. 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 [e-mail] .

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: [e-mail] If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: [e-mail]