Job Title

Scientific Strategic Head - Atmospheric Processes and ParametrizationsWe’re looking for an exceptional Scientific Strategic Head - Atmospheric Processes and Parametrizations to help us make a difference to our planet. As our Scientific Strategic Head - Atmospheric Processes and Parametrizations, 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 25 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a jobshare. Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best toagreea 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 aforcefor 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 ofdecision-making •We’re bettertogether -understandingpartnerships and inclusivity make us greater •We keep evolving- pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers Your world of expertise You will lead our Atmospheric Processes and Parameterisation (APP) team in Foundation Science.The APP team are focused on understanding fundamental physical processes in the atmosphere and translating this to improvements in our weather and climate modelling systems. The APP is responsible for developing self-consistent physics in the new model framework, Momentum (replacing the Unified Model), from very high resolution (LES) to global climate modelling resolutions. This will use an optimal hybrid physical-AI blend to achieve the most accurate representation of the atmosphere and land surface, focussed on improving key systematic errors, credibility in extremes and identifying impacts. For further information about the APP team please see - here. As a Scientific Strategic Head, you will direct and enable multiple scientific teams delivering or applying scientific research to enhance the Met Office’s capability, impact or quality of its predictions, products or advice. You will: • Promote a culture of continual improvement, coaching and personal development, ensuring all team members develop the skills needed to meet the changing business requirements. • Work with partners and stakeholders to ensure science and technical delivery is fit for purpose and collaboration is delivering for all partners. As the Scientific Strategic Head of APP in Foundation Sciencesyou will: • Provide strategic leadership in the development, co-ordination and delivery, leading to improved representation of atmospheric processes and parameterisation in the Momentum model framework in support of weather and climate prediction • Actively contribute to the Foundation Science Management team, working effectively with peers to deliver across the sub-directorate. • Work extensively with stakeholders including academia to guide resource to support improvements to model physics. • Liaise with external stakeholders such as counterparts in other national Met Services and academic partners to share ideas. • Continue to improve the Atmospheric Processes and Parameterisation function in the Met Office. • Provide excellent people management to the Atmospheric Processes and Parameterisation team. • Effectively manage cost, resources and skills within the team. Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing.The Met Office is Great Place to Work UK certified. We are also featured on their ‘Best Workplaces in Tech’ 2023 and 2024 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list. As our Scientific Strategic Head - Atmospheric Processes and Parametrizations, your total reward package will be up to £89,943 annually, which includes: • An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97% • Relocation Assistance may be available • Annual Leave starting at 27.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising to 32.5 days (plus Bank Holidays) after 5 years and option to buy or sell up to 5 days per year of annual leave Essential Criteria, skills and experience: 1. A strong relevant scientific or technical background with evidence of your scientific and/or technical outputs significantly advancing the development of environmental prediction capability (expert by nature). 2. Excellent leadership skills with the ability to lead teams to deliver scientific output and/or technical capabilities by demonstrating thought leadership and an ability to successfully manage change (live and breathe it). 3. Demonstrated ability to work with partners and stakeholders to ensure science and technical delivery is fit for purpose and collaboration is delivering for all partners (better together). 4. Evidence of contributing to setting the strategic direction of research and innovation (we keep evolving). 5. Excellent communication skills, being proactive and communicating clearly, confidently and with authenticity (force for good). 6. Proven ability to forecast, negotiate and control resources to successfully deliver outcomes (we live and breathe it). 7. A strong interest in the scientific and technical work required to deliver the work of APP (expert by nature). 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 18/05/2025 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 27/05/2025.. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed. How we can help If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at . 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 DisabilityConfidentScheme. To be invited to interview/assessment under this scheme, your application must meet the essential criteria for the role. Weunderstand 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. We’ll invest in your training and personal development throughout your career to help you reach your potential. We provide you with the space and freedom to think, innovate and try new things and have professional frameworks aligned to each area. We encourage and support professional memberships, have an array of internal apprenticeship and qualification opportunities and a comprehensive mentoring and coaching programme to name just a few initiatives to create your world of development at the Met Office! Cycle to work schemeWe can help towards the purchase of bicycles and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel via a salary sacrifice scheme. Lifestyle supportWhether 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 workingWe 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. Onsite parking and EV chargingWe offer onsite free parking at our main offices with disabled parking spots also available. We are ever expanding our eCharging stations and have these available for use at most sites. Benefits platformWe offer an enhanced discount shopping portal and schemes for employees to make everyday savings including retail shopping such as your weekly food shops, technology products, DIY projects, travel and trips as well as active lifestyle options. We also have an instant recognition scheme with the potential for you to receive vouchers for when you have gone the extra mile to demonstrate our Met Office Values. Across our offices we have an array of different options to support your wellbeing including 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) with phone and app provisions, lots of EDI initiatives to empower our diverse workforce and a dedicated wellbeing network with regular events to help you thrive! Commitment to our environment and biodiversityOur force for good value aligns perfectly with our support for environmental impact improvements. We were the first public sector body to be awarded the prestigious Wildlife Trusts’ Biodiversity Benchmark Award and have different initiatives across our sites from our beautiful biodiversity butterfly garden, toilet water provided from the cooling of our epic supercomputer, car share schemes, team beach clean events and extensive recycling facilities for our everyday use. It’s good to talkWe have a fantastic group of employee volunteers who form our Mental Health First Aiders as well as Dignity & Respect at Work groups. Alongside our EAP they are in the office or a remote call away to support with a listening ear and can signpost you to helpful resources and support. ED&I staff networksWe recognise the benefits that networks can offer to our employees not only in terms of better together peer support but also in raising awareness of the challenges some of our employees may experience, and we know that people perform better when they can be themselves. Investing in your developmentThe 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. Science Fellow, Weather and Climate Extremes and Impacts Team The Weather and Climate Extremes and Impacts Team was formed in response to multiple extreme events in the UK. Our customers are dealing with the impacts of severe weather and are more routinely asking questions that blur the lines between what would have traditionally been thought of separately as weather services and climate services. The work we do is critical in our changing world as we bring together teams to provide seamless services to help people stay safe. Senior Scientific Software Engineer There is a great variety of work here, sometimes I can be applying new science to one of our models, improving some of our internal tools, reviewing code, helping someone get the most out of their development plan, or attending a talk to learn new skills. Sometimes I work with older code cleaning it up, so it works better and is more future-proof. It’s always satisfying to see other people working with my improved code. Anna Whitford Scientific Consultant Coming from an academic background I wanted to be able to develop new research approaches, but I also wanted a change towards being more impact-focused, where the science I produced would be both useful and used right away. My work is supporting customers to better understand the impact of climate change on their business, with the added benefit of gaining experience on a wide range of projects - there is always something new to learn! Managing Scientific Consultant I have been at the Met Office since graduating and have been able to work my way from a foundation scientist to a manager. I enjoy working with customers on the application of science, helping them operate more safely and efficiently and enabling them to be more resilient to the weather both now and in the future. I get to see how the work of the team is directly having impact and benefit to industry and society. Our typical recruitment processFor 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. 2. ApplicationApply 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. 3. ScreeningThe 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. 4. InterviewMost 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. 5. AssessmentSome 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. 6. OfferIf 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. 7. OnboardingBefore 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. Ready to apply?Scientific Strategic Head - Atmospheric Processes and Parametrizations If you can't see a job that interests you, why not register for our job alerts by email service? And we’ll email you when a job that matches what you're looking for is uploaded onto the site.#J-18808-Ljbffr