Technical Lead

Met Office; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK national weather service in Exeter is seeking a Senior Infrastructure Engineer to lead the Digital Workplace team. This role emphasizes championing infrastructure solutions using Microsoft technologies. Responsibilities include designing and maintaining secure systems, mentoring staff, and ensuring compliance with security standards. The opportunity offers up to £65,568 annually, a Civil Service pension, and generous annual leave benefits. Hybrid working arrangements may be available.

Benefits

Civil Service pension

Recruitment Retention Allowance

Annual Leave up to 32.5 days

Qualifications

• Deep technical expertise in enterprise infrastructure domains.
• Experience with hybrid services and security standards.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve complex infrastructure issues.

Responsibilities

• Design, maintain and support secure infrastructure solutions.
• Lead and mentor infrastructure teams.
• Implement improvements to optimize service delivery.

Skills

Technical expertise

Problem-solving

Mentoring

Collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Technical degree or related field

Tools

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft 365

Windows Server

Job description

Technical Lead - Senior Infrastructure Engineer

We’re looking for a Senior Infrastructure Engineer to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Senior Infrastructure Engineer, 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 33 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.

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 aforcefor 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 bettertogether - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
• We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers

Your world of expertise

We are looking for an experienced and proactive Senior Infrastructure Engineer to join the Digital Workplace team. In this position, you will help define and deliver the technical direction of our digital infrastructure, with a particular focus on harnessing Microsoft technologies to support the organisation’s evolving requirements.

Your responsibilities will include designing, implementing, and maintaining robust, scalable, and secure infrastructure solutions, making full use of platforms such as Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and associated cloud services. These solutions will underpin the delivery of world-class meteorological services and ensure the Met Office remains at the forefront of digital innovation.

As a senior member of the team, you will provide technical leadership across a variety of projects, championing best practices and standards within the Microsoft ecosystem. You will also mentor and support other technical staff, contribute to complex problem-solving, and participate in strategic decision-making, ensuring our infrastructure remains resilient, responsive, and continuously advancing. Your deep expertise in Microsoft architecture will be integral in maintaining the Met Office’s reputation for technical excellence.

• Design, build, configure, and operate infrastructure solutions, ensuring robust, secure, and efficient operation of systems and services in line with Met Office architectural standards.
• Administer and support IT infrastructure, proactively monitoring performance, troubleshooting issues, and implementing improvements to optimise service delivery and minimise downtime.
• Lead and mentor infrastructure teams, coordinating day-to-day activities, allocating tasks, and fostering a culture of technical excellence and knowledge sharing.
• Implement and maintain automation to improve service reliability, compliance and operational efficiency.
• Oversee the integration and delivery of infrastructure services, working closely with internal stakeholders and third-party providers to ensure high-quality, reliable service outcomes.
• Take ownership of problem management, swiftly addressing incidents and root causes, and applying corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Ensure compliance with information security practices and departmental policies, actively managing risks and adhering to modern development, testing, and operational standards.
• Contribute to the planning and management of technology roadmaps, workforce requirements, and project delivery, supporting the Digital Workplace function’s strategic goals.

We operate an on-call roster in Technology to provide 24/7/365 support to respond to operational service requirements. This post may be part of an on-call roster and the postholder would be required to participate in an on-call roster where in operation.

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 Infrastructure Engineer, your total reward package will be up to £65,568 annually, which includes:

• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) you will be paid £5,300 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 March 2026 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

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

1. Experts by Nature

Demonstrates deep and broad technical expertise across enterprise infrastructure domains, including Windows Server platforms, identity and access management, networking, cloud and hybrid services, and end user technologies. Acts as a senior technical authority, able to diagnose and resolve complex, multi-layered infrastructure issues, balancing operational stability, security, and performance in line with DDaT standards and Met Office policies.

Provides technical leadership and assurance across live services and project work, ensuring solutions are robust, supportable, and aligned to architectural direction and organisational priorities.

2. Live and Breathe It

Extensive experience delivering complex infrastructure change and improvement initiatives from design through to implementation and operational handover. Brings strong architectural and operational insight to modern, cloud-first and hybrid infrastructure services, ensuring they are resilient, identity-driven, secure, and fit for purpose.

Able to manage multiple competing priorities and concurrent projects, maintaining momentum while adapting to changing business needs. Takes ownership for seeing work through to successful conclusion, ensuring outcomes are clearly defined, risks are managed, and benefits are realised.

3. Better Together, Communication & Stakeholder Management

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts, risks, and decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences. Builds trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including Digital Workplace teams, security, architecture, service management, and external suppliers.

Confident in influencing technical direction, providing clear advice and recommendations, and ensuring stakeholders remain informed and engaged throughout delivery and operational change.

4. Better Together, Leadership & Team Development

Proven experience supporting and developing engineers in technical roles through mentoring, coaching, and constructive feedback. Provides day-to-day technical leadership, supports task prioritisation, and contributes to performance management in line with organisational expectations.

Fosters an inclusive, collaborative culture that values shared ownership, continuous learning, and professional development. Actively contributes to building capability within the team and across the wider DDaT community.

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 22/02/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 02/03/2026. 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, 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 DisabilityConfidentScheme. 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]

Our rewards and benefits are as varied as our customers and our people, depending on your role, and which part of the business you join. The one thing they have in common is that they’re designed to recognise your contribution to our success.

Starting at 27.5 days and rising to 32.5 days after five years of service (both figures exclude bank holidays). As well as the flexibility to buy or sell annual leave annually.

You’ll automatically qualify to join our alpha pension scheme, part of the Civil Service Pension arrangements. The scheme is recognised as one of the most generous occupational pensions.

Lifestyle support

Whether you wish to utilise our excellent family-friendly schemes, be paid up to 3 days for volunteering with your chosen organisation, have the reassurance of a generous sickness pay scheme or be part of an organisation that is happy to pro-actively talk about flexible working the Met Office wants you to have a great work and lifestyle balance.

Established hybrid working

We have bases all over the UK and some roles allow for you to work abroad so there is the option to travel for work also, we have established amazing hybrid working practices across all of our offices and have enhanced technology to enable office and home-based meetings. We work with employees to agree on a suitable working pattern that works for us both and have various working patterns in place.

Investing in your development

The world around us is constantly changing. New technologies, shifting climate patterns, artificial intelligence. These factors and more shape the need for us to develop our skills and knowledge as a business and as individuals. Our investment in learning and development is testament to this and we have partnered with external bodies in each profession to help shape the way we develop the incredible talent right across the Met Office. We help everyone to understand their strengths and opportunities and tailor learning programmes that match their career. For us, this is world-leading learning and development.

I returned to the Met Office motivated by our purpose to help people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. I know what I do is meaningful and that matters. Read my story

Software Developer

I particularly enjoy having a significant amount of autonomy and being able to see the impacts of my work. I\'ve found the Met Office to be a great place to kick-off my career. I\'ve had a lot of opportunities to do on-the-job training, and one of the best things is that from day one I\'ve felt like a valued member of my team. Read my story

Luke Carr

Software Developer

I’m afforded ample opportunities to explore new technological avenues. Being trusted in this way has enabled me to develop while contributing to my team’s output. Before joining the Met Office, I couldn’t have imagined this approach being viable in a software delivery team. And now it’s this forward-thinking spirit that keeps me excited and motivated. Read my story

Jonathan Murch

Head of Security Operations

This is much more than a career for me. It’s an adventure where every project, challenge and partnership supports my development while achieving amazing things. Read my story

Joe George

Lead Technical Architect

It\'s genuinely rewarding to work for an organisation that does incredible things, truly values and challenges me, enables me to work with other talented people, and where I can help to make a real impact in the UK and globally. Read my story

Mathew Gard

We\'re an expert voice representing technology and its possibilities, working together with other talented people in data, user design and products. Together we drive innovation in new technologies and ensure crucial data is made available for our customers to make decisions that affect their daily lives. The Met Office is a fantastic place to work and grow your career, with a well-defined corporate strategy and values that are embedded into our ways of working. Read my story

Beth Harper

I love my role because every day is different. I like how varied it is and the fact that every day there are different customers to talk to, different problems to solve, and different solutions to work on. Read my story

Jim Ovens

Lead Technical Architect

I returned to the Met Office motivated by our purpose to help people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. I know what I do is meaningful and that matters. Read my story

Our typical recruitment process

5. Assessment

Some roles may require you to attend an assessment day. Any job-specific assessments will be outlined in the job advert and more details will be provided at the interview stage.

6. Offer

If you are successful following the interview, the hiring manager will contact you to offer the role. The Resourcing Team will then follow up with an offer letter and start your onboarding.

7. Onboarding

Before we can confirm a start date, we will first need to complete security clearance and reference checks. These usually take between eight to ten weeks to complete. We\'ll also discuss any workplace adjustments that you may need. So they are in place on your first day.

On your first day your new manager will introduce you to the team and you’ll start our online corporate induction. You’ll also be asked to update your details in our People Hub system including bank details ready for your first pay day.

For those living outside of the UK, there are some roles where we can sponsor Skilled Worker visas. However, you will still need to pass security clearance which requires you to have resided in the UK for 30 months in the last three years.

2. Application

Apply through our careers website. Each application will be assessed against the essential criteria detailed in the job advert. We recommend that you use the CARL or STAR method to answer the key questions. Evidence your answers and reference our values to bring your application to life.

3. Screening

The sift panel will assess all applications against our essential criteria. Our screening process usually takes one to two weeks following the closing date of the advert. After which, we\'ll be in touch to let you know whether your application has progressed to the next stage.

4. Interview

Most recruitment processes will include a single-stage interview, some of which are virtual interviews and some may be in-person. Our interviews tend to blend competency questions, which focus on the essential criteria, with values-based questions.

5. Assessment

Some roles may require you to attend an assessment day. Any job-specific assessments will be outlined in the job advert and more details will be provided at the interview stage.

6. Offer

If you are successful following the interview, the hiring manager will contact you to offer the role. The Resourcing Team will then follow up with an offer letter and start your onboarding.

7. Onboarding

Before we can confirm a start date, we will first need to complete security clearance and reference checks. These usually take between eight to ten weeks to complete. We\'ll also discuss any workplace adjustments that you may need. So they are in place on your first day.

On your first day your new manager will introduce you to the team and you’ll start our online corporate induction. You’ll also be asked to update your details in our People Hub system including bank details ready for your first pay day.

For those living outside of the UK, there are some roles where we can sponsor Skilled Worker visas. However, you will still need to pass security clearance which requires you to have resided in the UK for 30 months in the last three years.

Ready to apply?

Technical Lead - Senior Infrastructure Engineer

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