Foundation Scientific Software Engineer

Academic Posting

We’re looking for exceptional Foundation Scientific Software Engineers to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Foundation Scientific Software Engineer, 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 Scientific Software Engineers (SSEs) are professional software developers working alongside scientists to deliver scientific capabilities, from 24/7 weather forecasts to fundamental climate research. This is an open advert across a range of posts, from physics code optimisation to space weather codes to climate research engineering to supercomputer automation.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 22 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

Our world-leading weather forecasts and climate projections rely on professional software engineering within Research and Development to operate effectively and efficiently, and to pull through new scientific capabilities in a rapidly changing world. This is an opportunity across multiple teams and more details will be available at interview.

Your key duties:

Contribute to the development, maintenance and support of specialised scientific software applications, that enable the Met Office to be recognised as a world leader in weather and climate science and services. You will:

• Contribute to the development of software applications that meet the needs of the scientific community within the Met Office
• Follow software engineering procedures and standards to ensure software solutions meet desired quality criteria
• Maintain, document and support software applications to facilitate their maximum utilisation and longevity
• Meet with scientific colleagues to understand their requirements for specialised scientific software solutions
• Willingness to learn and share new knowledge,enhancing the team’s capability and effectiveness.

Why join us

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, 2024 and 2025 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.

As our Foundation Scientific Software Engineers, your total reward package will be up to £42,524 annually, which includes:

• £28,600 base pay
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) you will be paid £2,000 per annum as a market supplement to reflect the demand for your skills. Whilst in post, you will be paid this market driven allowance from April 2026 until March 2027 in your monthly pay
• 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. Lead Criteria:Show technical insight through creation of code-based solutions showing the effective application of technical knowledge, understanding and skills (Experts By Nature)
2. Engage with others to understand the requirements for your work and its wider context (Better Together)
3. Consider good Quality Assurance processes, best practice, standards and/or regulations in your work (Live and Breathe It)
4. Communicate knowledge accurately and concisely in written documents and discussions in small groups (Better Together)
5. Proactively develop your skills and support others in developing theirs (Keep Evolving)

The panel may perform a preliminary sift of the lead criteria as indicated above.

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.

Please note: We are currently recruiting for 5 roles which are being advertised at 3 levels (Foundation Scientific Software Engineer, Scientific Software Engineer and Senior Scientific Software Engineer). Those wishing to be considered at multiple levels should submit an application at each level.

Candidates selected for interview will be asked if they have a preference of area and this will be taken into consideration by the chairperson when offers are made.

Closing date 07/06/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 22/06/2026. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.

Using AI in your application

We welcome applications that use AI tools for support in drafting or refining, as long as they accurately reflect your own skills and experience. All hiring decisions at the Met Office are made by people, not AI. For more details, visit our approach to recruitment.