Data Recovery Specialist in Exeter

We’re looking for an exceptional Data Recovery Specialist to help us make a difference to our planet. As our Data Recovery Specialist, 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 part time, 18.5 hours per week. 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. This post can be based in either Edinburgh or Eskdalemuir.

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: This is a great opportunity to work with and be supported by the Met Office Surface Observations Quality Management Team who are data, metadata and quality experts responsible for the stewardship of this data within our national database. Your work will not only be key to identifying and prioritising surface climate observations to be recovered to the national archives, but also to ensure the quality is known and there is sufficient observational metadata to enable use of these observations in perpetuity.

Your key duties:

• Define and implement processes for the capture, loading, storage and QC of historic data and metadata that ensures the integrity of both.
• Manage and undertake the analysis of meteorological observations to identify erroneous data, establish the root cause of problems and ensure solutions are implemented.
• Manage and undertake the analysis of observational metadata to identify erroneous data, establish the root cause of problems and ensure solutions are implemented.
• Develop and maintain relationships with our customers, partners, suppliers, and local operational staff that maintains the Met Office's reputation and ensures priorities.

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 Data Recovery Specialist, your total reward package will be up to £49,448 annually, which includes:

• £35,145 base pay
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 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:

• Proven ability to analyse meteorological observations to identify erroneous data, establish the root cause of problems and ensure solutions are implemented (Expert by nature).
• Evidence of a broad knowledge of the characteristics of Land or Marine meteorological observing system data and quality (Expert by nature).
• Proven experience of working with databases and using SQL or equivalent query languages/technologies to populate, extract, analyse and interrogate large volumes of complex data (Keep evolving).
• Evidence of planning and prioritising work to ensure customer requirements are met and service improvements are implemented and documented (Better together).
• A physical science-based degree, or equivalent experience.

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

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.

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

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, 2 of these years must be immediately preceding the point of your application. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact us at careers@metoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk.

Closing date 04/08/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 17/08/2026. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed.