Job Description
Join the Met Office as a Foundation Operational Meteorologist within the Mobile Meteorological Unit (MMU).
Kickstart your meteorology career with a global leader in weather, climate science and services! We have opportunities for you to join the Mobile Meteorological Unit (MMU). We are a Sponsored Reserve unit within the RAF which is run by the Met Office and provides meteorological and environmental advice to the UK's armed forces on operations and exercises across the world.
This role offers a pathway to qualification as an Operational Meteorlogist combining meaningful 'hands-on' experience with training and development. As a Mobile Met Unit Operational Meteorologist, you will split your time between working on deployed operations and exercises as a member of the UK's armed forces and civilian work for the Met Office within the Operation Meteorology profession.
You will start your journey training to become an Operational Meteorologist alongside our other foundation meteorologists. Once qualified, you will begin your military training, starting with Officer and Aircrew selection, then completing basic recruit and reserve officer training before passing out as a fully qualified reserve officer from RAF Cranwell.
Having completed your military training, in your military role, you will provide meteorological and environmental advice to the UK's armed forces during operations and exercises around the world. This means analysing the weather and other physical conditions to understand the threats and opportunities and influencing decision makers to make the best of the situation.
In your civilian role, you will work within the Operational Meteorology profession delivering meteorological and environmental services to a broad range of customers e.g. in Defence, Aviation and Marine sectors.
Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, starting in August 2025 and you will be deployed to various Met Office sites across the UK and abroad.
We're offering you
* Comprehensive and world-leading training with a variety of development pathways; your route will be determined by your previous meteorological experience and performance during recruitment selection days. You can typically expect to be qualified within 18 to 24 months.
* A supportive and collaborative team environment with an opportunity to shape your own development, supported by dedicated People Leaders (staff who specialise in career development) and experienced Meteorologists.
* Varied work designed to help you gain a broad understanding of our business and customers including time at your primary location as well as the chance to deploy on military operations and exercises across the world. See the Met Office's Frontline Stations to find out more about where you may be based.
* Additional remuneration for your work as an MMU Meteorologist and opportunities to get involved with military adventurous training whilst deployed.
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
What You'll Do
Your role will be dependent on the pathway you take. Based on your experience and the needs of our business when you join, you may focus more in some of the following areas than others, or you may proceed directly to study for your qualifications. Either way you will build the experience and skills to deliver across these areas after you qualify.
* Weather Observations & Analysis: Real time analysis of the local sky weather and environmental conditions, conveying technical data to your team, contributing to the production of weather-based products for a range of customers.
* Production of Forecast: Using predictive model data to build weather forecasts, delivering a range of products that allow customers to make safety-critical decisions.
* Customer Engagement: You will actively partner with defence, aviation, or media customers, responding to queries and engaging with the Met Office team if required. Building and maintaining working relationships through provision of meteorological advice and developing an understanding of how this adds value to our customers.
* Business Support: As a core part of your team, you will contribute to day-to-day office operations. Maintain local knowledge management (how and why we carry out tasks) such as updating guidance and communicating changes to the wider team.
* Network: Make an impact to the wider network (of bases and offices including our headquarters in Exeter) by collaborating with colleagues across the organisation, sharing knowledge and building strong working relationships.
* Project Work: Contribute to business-critical Met Office wide projects such as key change initiatives, events, software testbeds or the creation of educational materials.
* Self-Development: Create and be responsible for a personal development plan ensuring that you understand the wider organisation, our products and services and keep learning throughout your career.
Essential Criteria
* A degree in meteorology, a physical science, mathematics or engineering (at 2:2 or higher) or experience as an Operational Meteorologist demonstrating we are experts by nature.
Whilst this is the list of what we need, key to success in this role will be a genuine interest for what we do. That could be the weather, our customers or service delivery and the drive to use that interest to work as part of a team.
* Excellent communication skills and fluency in both spoken and written English; this is important as you will need to communicate in a technical and public-facing capacity. Ability to problem-solve and make decisions, at times independently and under pressure.
* Resilient, self-motivated, curious and team-orientated, demonstrating that we are better together. These skills will ensure you succeed in the role and the challenges it provides, be it working overnight or remotely, in a changing environment or meeting tight deadlines.
* An adaptable mindset with a positive approach to change is necessary to be agile in the way you work and demonstrate that we keep evolving. Contributing to your team will also require a can-do attitude to do the less exciting but necessary important jobs that keep our services running - but, if we ask you to run a report or update a contact list, we will ensure you know why we've asked you to complete that task and we encourage you to challenge us where you can think of a better way of working.
* The requirement for a full UK driving licence is highly desirable and sometimes essential depending on location. Travel to some locations can be difficult without a vehicle.
* The ability to show leadership qualities and lead small teams. This is important for a role within the Mobile Met Unit (MMU).
Am I eligible to apply?
In addition to the criteria listed above, you must also be eligible by meeting the following:
o You hold A-level mathematics or physics or the direct equivalent qualification (e.g. IB, Scottish Highers) or experience.
o You are willing to work shifts including 'unsocial' hours (such as night shifts and working weekends or public holidays) as required by your role and/or location, and to be willing to relocate within the UK.
o You are willing and able to become a member of the UK's armed forces.
Why join us
Our work is life-changing, often lifesaving 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 Operational Meteorologist, your total reward package will be up to £38,280 annually. You may be eligible for additional allowances which will increase upon deployment and includes:
o £26,954 base pay
o An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
o Allowances whilst on deployment and £4,200 as an Unsocial Hours Shift Allowance if applicable to the working pattern at your location.
o 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.
How to apply
If you share our values and are ready to take the first step in your meteorology career, 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 strongly suggest candidates structure their answers using the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) when presenting evidence of experience and skills.
Closing date 09/03/2025 at 23:59. If you pass the initial sift, you will be invited to a full day, in-person selection centre at one of our customer bases. This will involve group and individual exercises and interview where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your attributes and skills. The Selection Centre will be held in mid-April.
How we can help
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at .
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.
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