About the job

Job summary

We’re looking for an exceptional Senior Software Developer to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Senior Software Developer you will work a hybrid pattern and will be on site at Exeter HQ once a month. You can choose to work more frequently in our state-of-the-art office if you'd prefer. 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.

Who we are:

We provide critical weather services and world-leading climate science to deliver extraordinary impact and benefit across the globe. Our work helps 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

As a Senior Developer, your duties will include:

• planning and leading development on sets of related stories
• understanding the whole system and take responsibility for teaching this to others
• working with other disciplines to understand what needs to be built
• coaching and mentoring more junior colleagues
• operating the production services you build
• finding ways to improve system robustness, resilience and stability

This role does not include line management and is aligned to the Government Digital and Data profession Senior Developer role level. For further information on these please refer to the relevant Government Digital and Data profession description on the GOV.UK website.

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.

Person specification

Essential Qualifications, Skills & Abilities:

1. Modern standards approach. You can:

• competently apply a modern standards approach and guide others to do so

Programming and build (software engineering). You can:

• collaborate with others when necessary to review specifications;
• use the agreed specifications to design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools.

Systems design. You can:

• design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity
• select appropriate design standards, methods and tools, and ensure they are applied effectively
• review the systems designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology

Team Leadership. You can lead and mentor a multi-disciplinary team across geographically dispersed environments.

As well as your CV, please submit a Cover Letter/Supporting Statement, this must evidence how you meet each of the essential criteria (bullet points or short paragraphs). 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,838, Met Office contributes £10,486 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 a Cover Letter/Supporting Statement which evidences 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 07/01/2024 at 23:59 with interviews commencing from 15/01/2024. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.

If successful, please note we are unable to offer expenses for travel to your normal place of work. This post is contractually aligned to Exeter HQ, 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 support 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 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.

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

Security

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.