Senior Scientific Software Engineer – Momentum Partnership in Exeter

We’re looking for an exceptional Senior Scientific Software Engineer 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. 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: Momentum is a framework of Software comprising the model codes and supporting infrastructure that provides the ability to run Earth Environment Prediction applications, together with the Science Configurations that define the way model codes are run for regional or global applications. The Met Office and its Momentum partners use the various elements of the framework to build Prediction Systems. The Momentum Partnership is a coordinated activity consisting of operational and research centres that use and develop the Momentum and associated workflows for weather and climate applications.

The use of Momentum for research and operations strengthens the Met Office’s position as a global leader in the weather and climate science and enables partners to contribute to the Met Office’s Research and Innovation themes. In this post you will develop and maintain the infrastructure that supports the data provision for Momentum Partners to initialise Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) systems, as well as support for the implementation of configurations developed from research into the operational systems across the Momentum Partnership.

You will work closely with partner scientists and developers to enable their contributions to the Momentum Partnership’s science and technical infrastructure programs, supported by colleagues across National Capability. This involves understanding partner capabilities, providing training and mentoring, and, where needed, developing or coordinating tools that allow partners to configure, run, and evaluate physical or machine-learning models for model development and assessment.

The Met Office and its Momentum Partners are adopting next-generation Momentum systems, which opens exciting opportunities for you to:

• Advance your expertise in research, development, and application of Momentum components.
• Collaborate at a high level across the Met Office and with international Momentum partners.
• Work alongside and contributing to the operational implementation of a world leading seamless modelling system.
• Work within a global partnership that embraces creativity and diversity.

The job holder will contribute to the overall work of the Momentum Partnerships team. Core responsibilities will include:

• Providing technical support and develop capabilities to enable effective use of Momentum and its associated software for operational NWP systems across the Momentum Partnership.
• This support can be delivered remotely or through visits to Momentum partner organisations, through an understanding of Momentum partner strengths and capabilities.
• Providing technical support for Momentum partners to contribute to joint science and technical infrastructure plans.
• Developing and maintaining the Initialisation Data Service that provides operational data streams to Momentum partners.
• Working closely with the Research to Operations (R2O) team in Weather Science to ensure that workflow developments align with R2O plans including those needed for Parallel Suites and support the R2O process across the Momentum Partnership.

Additional responsibilities may include:

• Supporting the transition of partners to use and develop Momentum.
• Contributing to Momentum Partnership projects related to the Partnership priority areas.

The job holder will be expected to manage and build relationships with scientists and software engineers from different cultures and organisations. Our work is life-changing, often life-saving and always life-enhancing.

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

• A strong background in computational science, physical science or mathematics, demonstrated by a degree or equivalent qualifications or experience.
• Demonstrated ability to write high quality scientific software applications (e.g., Fortran, C++, Python, etc.), and develop new technical skills where required.
• Demonstrated ability to set-up and manage a quality assurance process for a code base and facilitate its adoption by others.
• Evidence of an organised approach to work and ability to cope with a range of competing demands.
• Evidence of ability to work well with people and foster collaboration and mentoring.

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 25/01/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 02/02/2026. 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.

How we can help: If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact us. 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 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.

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. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

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 scheme: We can help towards the purchase of bicycles and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel via a salary sacrifice scheme.

Lifestyle support: Whether 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 working: We 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.

Onsite parking and EV charging: We 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 platform: We 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.

Commitment to our environment and biodiversity: Our 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.

It’s good to talk: We have a fantastic group of employee volunteers who form our Mental Health First Aiders as well as Dignity & Respect at Work groups.

ED&I staff networks: We 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.

Investing in your development: The 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.

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