About the job

Job summary

We’re looking for an exceptional Aviation Applications Scientist to help us make a difference to our planet.

This 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.

Who we are:

We provide critical weather services and world-leading climate science, to help people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.

Together:

• 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

Find out more about our values - https://bit.ly/3fokaRD

Job description

The Industry Science and Consultancy area is made up of a mix of Scientists, Scientific Consultants and Scientific Software Engineers with a range of backgrounds and different academic/career experiences from meteorology to statistics and data science, climate science to forecasting – we do not all come in with a meteorology background, but we do all share a passion for taking weather and climate information and making it useful, usable and used.

Within this area, the Aviation Applications team develop capability to enable aviation customers to manage the impact of weather and climate on their business. It provides both consultancy and tools to deliver impact advice using Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) in a way that is meaningful to airlines, pilots, air traffic control and other decision makers.

For example, it carried out the work to update the algorithms for predicting clear air turbulence, cumulonimbus clouds and air frame icing that underpin all global aviation from a regulatory weather perspective (World Area Forecast System or WAFS). The team works closely with many areas of the Met Office including a wide range of other scientists, business managers and technologists and has regular contact with our aviation customers.

Job Purpose:

As our Aviation Applications Scientist, the key duties are:

• To use your scientific coding to deliver scientific research on Aviation Applications in order to enhance the Met Office's quality of its products and advice to aviation customers.
• To contribute to the development of meteorological capabilities in support of safety and efficiency within the aviation industry.
• Develop new NWP and observations based impact products, ensuring they meet appropriate scientific and technical standards whilst meeting the customer’s expectation.
• Undertake aviation related meteorological consultancy work, both for UK and international customers.
• Direct contact with business development colleagues, customers and other stakeholders working together to ensure the delivery of effective solutions for the aviation industry.
• Maintain and support a number of operational aviation products.
• To develop your skills in scoping and leading scientific research.

Person specification

Essential Qualifications, Skills & Abilities:

If you are unsure on where your skills and experiences sit on the scale of Foundation Scientist (alternative advert), Scientist (this advert) and Senior Scientist (alternative advert) you can apply at two or more and you will then be assessed against different sets of criteria.

1. A degree in a physical-/mathematics-based science or demonstration of equivalent experience. Plus experience equivalent to several years after graduation in a physical-/mathematics-based science.
2. Demonstrable experience of carrying out work on the application of scientific and analytical methods to solve applied research problems with only limited supervision.
3. A demonstrated ability to learn and apply programming including experience of writing and modifying complex code.
4. A consistent ability to clearly communicate yours and others work to specialist and non-specialist audiences, both orally and in writing.
5. Clear understanding of customer needs and the application of science to the development and delivery of user-relevant products and services.
6. An ability to work and collaborate as an active and productive member of a team including, the provision of scientific/technical advice to other team members. Evidence of an ability to plan and manage your own work. Ability to build relationships and contribute to a culture that supports cross team working.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,100, Met Office contributes £8,640 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

How to apply:

If you share our values, we’d love to hear from you. Apply below using your CV and Cover Letter/Supporting Statement (which must bullet point how you meet each of the essential criteria). We recommend candidates use the CARL (Context, Action, Result and Learning) method for presenting evidence of skills.

Closing date 20/03/2024 at 23:59 with interviews commencing from 08/04/2024 . You will hear from us once the closing date has passed. Our interviews are taking place remotely via Microsoft Teams.

If successful, please note we are unable to offer expenses for travel to your normal place of work. Please ask at interview if you would like extra clarity on how often this requirement is likely to be.

How we can help:

If you are considering applying and need assistance to do so, please contact us via careers@metoffice.gov.uk. 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 (Guaranteed Interview) Scheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role.

We are an equal opportunities employer, welcoming 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.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.