Atmospheric Dispersion and Air Quality Scientist in Exeter

We’re looking for an exceptional Atmospheric Dispersion Scientist to help us make a difference to our planet. 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 jobshare. We have 1 x permanent position available with potentially 2 x further temporary positions. The temporary positions are for up to a 12 month period and there is potential for these to develop into a permanent position.

Your world of expertise: You will be part of the Atmospheric Dispersion and Air Quality (ADAQ) Group, conducting research, model development, application and operational deployment and support related to atmospheric dispersion and air quality hazards. ADAQ develops and operates the Numerical Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Environment (NAME), a world‑class hybrid Lagrangian–Eulerian model that underpins the Met Office’s emergency response capability. NAME is used by the Environmental Monitoring and Response Centre (EMARC) meteorologists and ADAQ scientists to advise stakeholders on the dispersion, deposition, and impacts of hazardous releases, including major fires, nuclear incidents, volcanic eruptions, and disease outbreaks.

Work in ADAQ is varied and the role may include some or all of the following depending on the skill set of the individual and the work priorities:

• Conducting research and development of the Met Office atmospheric‑dispersion modelling capability.
• Developing enhanced operational response capability in areas such as radiological atmospheric releases, industrial accidents, animal and plant health, and volcanic ash/gas releases to provide targeted decision‑making advice to our customers.
• Conducting model validation and improvement using data from field campaigns and real‑world events.
• Conducting model sensitivity studies to explore the importance and impact of model improvements and the propagation of uncertainty in dispersion forecasts.
• Participating in and developing scientific projects with collaborators in academia and other agencies.
• Disseminating results via academic papers, project reports and oral and poster presentations.

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

• Post graduate experience in a relevant discipline, i.e., physical, environmental, computational or mathematical science.
• Demonstrably good scientific knowledge of own subject area and evidence of how this has been applied to solve relevant problems.
• Experience of writing and modifying moderately complex code and producing high quality data evaluation and visualisation using languages such as Python, shell scripts, Fortran.
• An ability to effectively communicate clearly, orally, and in writing, to specialists and non‑specialists.
• An ability to work independently and in collaboration in a flexible manner to meet deadlines.

We encourage you to apply if you believe you meet our essential criteria, but we’re also keen to discover if you have:

• Knowledge of atmospheric dispersion modelling or meteorology and their applications.

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 01/03/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 23/03/2026.

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.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk. 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.

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.