About the job

Job summary

We’re looking for an exceptional Surface Observations Operations Manager to help us make a difference to our planet.

Job description

As our Surface Observations Operations Manager, 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, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share.  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

Observations are fundamental to almost all the services that the Met Office provides and there's an increasing demand for more observational data and new and innovative ways of meeting the customer requirements for data. Our Surface Observing Operations Team is responsible for the operational delivery of land and marine observational data services from a wide range of technologies and networks across the UK. 

As the Surface Observations Operations Manager, you will manage a team of approximately 20 staff, based at locations around the UK. You will direct the team and associated resources to ensure the delivery of a wide range of operational surface (land synoptic, climate and marine) observational data services to customers to enable the Met Office’s capability and reputation to be enhanced, responding to changes in technology, as well as weather and climate.

Working closely with the Head of Observations Operations in Technical Services and other senior managers, you’ll ensure operational observational services meet current and future customer requirements. As the authority for change to the Surface Observing networks, you will be key to ensuring the integrity of our observational data, and it’s importance to our awareness of climate change, now and for future generations.

Collaborating with colleagues, partner organisations and agencies, you'll ensure their current and future operational observational data service requirements are understood, defined and that solutions are delivered which uphold wider Met Office business aims. You'll be involved in the evolution of the global observing networks through technical engagement in appropriate international activities to ensure the Met Office remains a key player in the global observing environment.

You will uphold and amplify the Met Office values through your actions and leadership. You’ll be a beacon of progress, a mentor of future leaders, and a custodian of the data that shapes our knowledge of the climate. 

As our Surface Observations Operations Manager, the key duties are:

• Apply operational observing knowledge to the development of work plans & strategic direction for the Surface Observing Operations Team.
• Direct, manage and monitor the delivery of surface land and marine based operational observing data services for the Surface Observing Operations area and ensure the services are delivered to endorsed levels of quality and cost.
• Recruit, guide and develop the Surface Observing Operations Team and improve cross team ways of working to increase effectiveness and the efficiency of service delivery.
• Negotiate with and influence internal & external suppliers, partners and customers to ensure operational observing service delivery meets requirements.
• Make substantial contributions to network lifecycle and development plans to ensure current, emerging and long-standing technical issues with observing capability are addressed.
• Act as the authority for changes to existing operational observing services in the Surface Observing Operations area and ensure the success implementation of new observing strategies.

Person specification

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

1. Keep evolving:A track record of working independently to solve operational problems and providing recommendations to senior managers on improved service delivery to customers. 
2. Expert by nature:A Science or Engineering degree or the equivalent experience in one of these disciplines and experience of how external factors (for example weather conditions) impact on service delivery. 
3. Live & breathe it:An understanding of the Met Office’s strategy and the role that the Surface Operations Observing team has to play in its future success. 
4. Evidence of having successfully led, developed and grown a multi-skilled team, enabling them to undertake complex operational technical tasks with independence. 
5. The proven ability to exchange complex technical information with a wide range of customers, suppliers and colleagues who have varying levels of technical understanding.
6. A proven ability to prioritise personal and team workloads for a range of customers, deal with critical operational issues in a structured manner and implement process improvement to minimise future risk to operational services. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,799, Met Office contributes £14,309 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! 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 08/07/2024 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 22/07/2024. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.

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.

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.