The Met Office is delighted to open our advertising for a number of Industrial Placements, which will commence from July 2025 until July 2026.
We’re looking for two exceptional Data Engineer Industrial Placements to help us make a difference to our planet.
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Met Office on a 12-month Year in Industry placement, developing your skills and knowledge and ensuring you gain the most value possible from your experience with us. You will have the opportunity to network with our cohort of Industrial Placements all over the Met Office and understand what career opportunities we can offer you after you graduate.
As our Data Engineer Industrial Placement, 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. 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
Our Industrial Placement scheme offers ambitious and capable undergraduates the opportunity to gain valuable experience working alongside diverse and highly skilled experts in their field. You’ll be working on projects that really matter and will make a difference.
This role is part of the Data Services Tribe in the National Capability Technology function.
As defined in the Research & Innovation strategy, the weather and climate 'National Capability' encompasses the science and technology required to deliver the data which underpins weather and climate services. The National Capability Technology function consists of the services provided by Technology which underpin the National Capability.
The Data Services tribe implement and support the services that allow the discovery, querying, subsetting and processing of environmental data via a set of internal interfaces. These interfaces are essential for providing data to Met Office products and services such as the app and the website.
An Industrial Placement Data Engineer learns on the job and you will develop skills while working under supervision to deliver stories in a multidisciplinary team to:
* Understand and be proficient in different data types used in the Met Office
* Understand the scripts/methods used to transform our data
* Be able to share with others the importance of data engineering
Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing. The Met Office is accredited as a 'Great Place to Work UK 2023' and in addition has achieved a place on both the UK's 'Best Workplaces in Tech' and 'Best Workplaces for Women' lists.
Whilst this is a temporary position until July 2026, there is potential for it to develop into an opportunity to join our Graduate Development scheme once you have completed your University studies.
Your package includes:
* Your salary will be £25,606
* Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days
* Access to discounted shopping, inclusive of retail, leisure and lifestyle brands
Essential Criteria, skills and experience:
* Studying towards a degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Data Engineering, or a related field which MUST incorporate a placement year (i.e. sandwich course).
* Experience with programming languages such as Python, Java, Scala, or R.
* Understanding of data flows, data structures, algorithms, data engineering principles, and business intelligence (BI) systems.
* Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
* Strong problem-solving and communication skills.
* Interest in weather and climate science.
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: 08/01/2025 at 23:59. Please note we often receive a high volume of applications, but we will contact everyone who applies once the closing date has passed. Interviews will be completed by 25/02/2025.
For additional guidance on our recruitment process and how to apply please look at our approach to recruitment page on our careers site.
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.
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.
The Met Office stands out as an exceptional workplace for several reasons. Firstly, the unwavering support from colleagues creates a collaborative and nurturing atmosphere, fostering both personal and professional growth. Secondly, the relaxed and flexible atmosphere is invaluable, especially for those stepping into their first full-time roles, as it facilitates the development of a healthy work-life balance. Finally, the breadth of work ensures that employees are engaged in diverse and impactful projects, making working here unique.
Something amazing is that there is such a huge variety of opportunities and departments, that you can really start a career in anything. It could be product management or marketing - you don't have to be an operational meteorologist to work here! And whatever you want to do, you’ll be supported to go for it. There is a culture of generosity and kindness, and people go above and beyond to help you.
Edith Warne
I’ve had so many brilliant opportunities, I’ve been able to lead my own project, creating a data catalogue, which was so rewarding and gave me a great sense of achievement to see it through from start to finish. This enabled me to develop relationships as I have collaborated with people across the office in workshops and meetings. I have also been given the opportunity to undertake a six-week secondment with the Communications and Engagement team.
Everyone I have come across so far has been welcoming, easily approachable and happy to help, which has been crucial for me and the other placement students - who are all new to the working world. To have felt like a respected and trusted member of a team brimming with experts in their field has been an incredible experience. I think there is quite a kudos to being able to tell someone you work in science at the Met Office. Both in the brand itself and the global impact of the work.
Emily Inganni
People are often quite surprised when I tell them I work at the Met Office, especially if they know I am doing a politics degree. For most people, the only part they really see is the forecasting, but there’s so much more going on. No matter your background, you’ll be made to feel very welcome here. I live with two other industrial placements and the breadth of what the three of us are involved in is astounding.
The people are supportive and no matter who you speak to, everyone makes you feel seen and heard. There are so many opportunities that make you think more widely about what you want to do, and if you see something that sparks your interest, you’re encouraged and supported to explore it. I’ve been given the time and opportunities to figure out my goals for this year and the start of my career.
Our typical recruitment process
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
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