About the job

Job summary

We’re looking for an exceptional Aviation Applications Senior 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 Senior Scientist, the key duties are:

• To use advanced scientific coding to plan, research and deliver 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.
• Leading the development of new NWP and observations based impact products, ensuring they meet appropriate scientific and technical standards whilst meeting the customer’s expectation.
• Leading the scoping and delivery of aviation related meteorological consultancy work, both for UK and international customers.
• Work 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 further your skills in leading the scientific work of others.

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 (alternative advert) and Senior Scientist (this 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. In addition experience equivalent to several years post-doctoral in a physical-/mathematics-based science.
2. Demonstrable experience of leading and carrying out work on the application of scientific and analytical methods to solve applied research problems.
3. A demonstrated ability to take the lead in programming including experience of writing and modifying complex code.
4. A consistent ability to clearly communicate yours and others work to internal and external scientists and non-specialists, both orally and in writing to provide well-informed advice.
5. Demonstrated 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 support to other team members. Evidence of an ability to plan and manage your own and others’ work. Ability to build relationships and contribute to a culture that supports cross team working.
7. A demonstrated understanding of the importance of quality assurance and experience of applying good practices to scientific report writing and software development.

Desirable Qualifications, Skills & Abilities:

We encourage you to apply if you believe you meet our essential criteria, but your application will be even stronger if you have:

1. Knowledge of aviation or aviation relevant meteorology or observations.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,838, Met Office contributes £11,457 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

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 22/04/2024 . 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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.