Foundation Operational Meteorologist

Kickstart your meteorology career with a global leader in weather and climate science and services!

This role offers pathways to qualification as an Operational Meteorologist combining meaningful ‘hands-on’ experience with training and development . You will work in a team with the largest customers of our weather services nationwide. From day one you will be making a direct, real-life impact to our armed forces, airports and the safety of the public.

Our opportunities are full time, 37 hours per week, starting in August 2026 and you will be deployed to various UK Met Office sites.

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

Why you should join

• Comprehensive and world-leading training with a variety of development pathways. Your route will be determined by your previous meteorological experience and performance during recruitment selection days, but you can typically expect to bequalifiedwithin 18 to 24 months.
• A supportive and collaborative team environment with an opportunity to shape your own development within the Met Office, supported by dedicated People Leaders (who specialise in career development) and experienced Meteorologists.
• A range of potential development pathways, leading to diverse and rewarding careers in areas such as operational meteorology, customer service delivery, business analysis or scientific research.
• Varied work designed to help you gain a broad understanding of our business and customers including time at your primary location as well as other sites across the UK. There is also potential for overseas secondments at our defence locations – more information at Met Office Frontline Stations.

What you\’ll do

Your role will be dependent on the pathway you take. Based on your experience and the needs of our business when you join you may focus more on some of the following areas than others, or you may proceed directly to study for your qualifications. Either way you will build the experience and skills to deliver across these areas.

• Weather Observations & Analysis: Real time analysis of the local weather and environmental conditions, conveying technical data to your team, contributing to the creation of products for a range of customers.
• Delivering weather-based environmental services: Using environmental data to deliver a range of services that allow customers to make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. You will gradually increase in responsibility to deliver these independently.
• Customer Engagement: You will actively partner with a range of users, which may include defence, aviation, or media customers, responding to initial queries and engaging with the Met Office team if required. Building and maintaining working relationships through provision of meteorological advice and developing an understanding of how this adds value for our users and their decision making.
• Business Support: As a core part of your team, you will contribute to day-to-day office operations. Maintain local knowledge management (how and why we carry out tasks), processes such as updating guidance and communicating changes to the wider team.
• Network: Make an impact to the wider network (of bases and offices including our headquarters in Exeter) by collaborating with colleagues across the organisation, sharing knowledge and building strong working relationships with peers.
• Project Work/Activity: Contribute to business-critical Met Office-wide projects such as key change initiatives, events, software testbeds or the creation of educational materials.
• Self-Development: Create and be responsible for a personal development plan ensuring that you understand the wider organisation, our products and services and keep learning throughout your career.

Essential Criteria, skills and experience:

• An expert by nature with a degree in meteorology, a physical science, mathematics or engineering (at 2:2 or higher) or experience in Operational Meteorology. Ideally you also hold A-level mathematics or physics or the direct equivalent qualification (e.g. IB, Scottish Highers). (Lead Criteria)
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in both spoken and written English; this is important as you will need to communicatein a technical and public-facing capacity. Able to engage with users and understand their needs helping them to make better decisions.
• You’re team-orientated, demonstrating that we are better together. Contributing to your team will also require a can-do attitude to do the less exciting but important jobs that keep our services running.
• A positive approach to change is necessary to be agile in the way you work and demonstrate that we keep evolving. Challenge the way things are done if you can think of a better way of working.
• A genuine interest for what we do. That could be the weather, our customers or service delivery. You will be expected to understand and be willing to uphold and role model Met Office values .
• The requirement for a full UK driving licence is highly desirable and sometimes essential depending on location. Travel to some locations can be difficult without access to a vehicle or transport when public transport isn’t available.

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

Am I eligible to apply?

In addition to the criteria listed above, you must also meet the following:

• The role requires resilience and willingness to work shifts including ‘unsocial’ hours (such as night shifts and working weekends or public holidays) as required by your role and/or location.
• Flexible to be able to work across the UK as the business requires.You may deploy up to three times during your training and although we will take your preferences into consideration, we cannot guarantee locations.

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 a Foundation Operational Meteorologist, your total reward package will be up to £41,724 annually, which includes:

• Unsociable Hours Allowances (UHA) available when you join an operational roster:
  • • Shift Disturbance of £1,200 per annum (pro-rated) as an allowance for shift working.
    • Hourly Rate of £4.50 per hour for qualifying hours working in unsocial hours (20:00hrs – 06:00hrs and weekends).
• 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.

Our recruitment process

If you share our values and are ready to take the first step in your meteorology career, we’d love to hear from you.

• Apply: Submit your application online following the guidelines given; incomplete responses or CV’s alone will not be accepted. Please complete your career history and provide evidence against each of the essential criteria in the supporting statement questionnaire.
• Closing Date: 23/02/2026 at 23:59 . Please note we often receive a high volume of applications, but we will contact everyone who applies once the closing date has passed.
• Initial Sift: Based on evidencing the essential criteria. We strongly suggest candidates structure their answers using the CARL method (Context, Action, Result and Learning) when presenting evidence of experience and skills.
• Selection Centre: A full day in-person experience at one of our customer bases, currently planned for mid-March in Edinburgh and Exeter (reasonable expenses within the UK covered). Through group and individual exercises and conversations, you’ll demonstrate your attributes and skills. There will be time to ask us questions and get a sense of your future working environment and customers.Our selection process uses multiple methods to assess the essential criteria, helping us identify great candidates who find interviews challenging and allowing you time to decide if the role and organisation are right for you.
• Offer: Successful candidates will receive an offer and confirmation of the pathway we believe is best suited to them. You will move through our onboarding stage which includes obtaining a full security clearance – see details below.
• Start Date: Begin your journey with us in August 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. 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 .

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, 2 of these years must be immediately preceding the point of your application. You will need to achieve full security clearance without caveats and/or restrictions before we can confirm your start date for this role.

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

Working in Foundation Operational Meteorologist

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. 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 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. 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 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 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 talk

We 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 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, and we know that people perform better when they can be themselves.

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. 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.

Being a Foundation Operational Meteorologist involves being independent and adaptable, and doing different tasks each day. My responsibilities include weather observations (thunderstorms make me very busy!), office admin tasks, climate summaries and my own personal development. I enjoy coming to work, because of this variety and the people who I work with.

Foundation Operational Meteorologist

Every day at RAF Northolt is fast-paced and exciting, with no two days the same. I\’m fortunate to be doing something I’m truly passionate about – monitoring the weather and how it impacts aviation. Working closely alongside air traffic control and operations, I help provide pilots with frequent updates to ensure their operations remain safe and efficient.

Bethany Addo-Smith

Foundation Operational Meteorologist (FOM)

When I first arrived, the Early Careers Team were very supportive and answered all my questions. They’ve continued to offer guidance throughout my training period, prioritising my development as a new starter. I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming and encouraging transition into the workforce. Read my story

Foundation Operational Meteorologist

I wasn\’t sure how I would fit into the company. But everyone has made me feel welcome and a valued and respected team member. While much of my time has been spent doing observations, I’ve become more involved in the forecasting process. I\’ve learned so much from more experienced colleagues, and absorbing their knowledge will greatly benefit me during my forecaster training.

Martin Baumber

Foundation Operational Meteorologist

In my opinion, the Met Office is the best place to advance a career in meteorology. I’ve really valued all the support, learning and development opportunities which have brought out the best in me, and helped me to reach my full potential. Read my story

Foundation Operational Meteorologist

My primary role is to observe local weather conditions and communicate any changes to air traffic control. Through my training I’ve developed a clearer understanding of the aspects of meteorology and the Met Office that intrigue me most. This will help me to identify where I want to focus my future career in forecasting.

Harry Coates

Foundation Operational Meteorologist

Through my role at RAF Waddington, I’ve learned the importance of accurate forecasts and observations for flight safety and planning. I can watch the Red Arrows doing practice displays outside and know how the weather can impact what they do.

Our typical recruitment process

For 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. Application

Apply 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. Screening

The 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. Interview

Most 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. Assessment

Some 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. Offer

If 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. Onboarding

Before 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.

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.

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