Job Introduction
We’re looking for an exceptional Senior Scientist in Earth System Modelling to help us make a difference to our planet.
As our Senior Scientist in Earth System Modelling, 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.
Whilst this is a temporary position for 30 months due to funding provided by the EU Horizon Europe FUTURA project, there is potential for it to develop into a permanent position.
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.
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We’re a force for good - focusing on our environmental and social impact
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We’re experts by nature - always learning and developing to do things better
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We live and breathe it - putting our purpose at the heart of decision-making
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We’re better together - understanding partnerships and inclusivity make us greater
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We keep evolving - pushing boundaries to make tomorrow better for our customers
Your world of expertise
The successful candidate will join the joint Met Office-NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) UKESM science team that develops, evaluates and applies the UK Earth System Model (UKESM) model in a range of science and policy-oriented initiatives. One key international activity we are currently involved in is the 7th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP7). FUTURA brings together the majority of European groups working on Earth system modelling, regional downscaling, climate impacts modelling, and integrated assessment models. FUTURA will be the primary European contribution to CMIP7 and IPCC AR7 and aims to develop a more streamlined and sustainable mode for delivery of global to local climate and climate impacts information.
This role will focus on the realisation and analysis of the CMIP7 Assessment Fast Track experiments using our latest state-of-the-art model, UKESM2 (due to be finalised later this year), as part of the FUTURA project. Areas of analysis will focus on evaluation of the CMIP characterization experiments (DECK) and future scenario projections (ScenarioMIP) with opportunities to explore Earth system forcing and feedbacks, warming overshoot, net zero and negative emission pathways, climate reversibility, and abrupt/rapid change in the Earth system. The exact focus of will depend on the expertise and interests of the successful candidate.
Your key duties:
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Set-up and run key CMIP7 and other novel experiments designed within the FUTURA project with UKESM models.
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Contribute to evaluation and wider analysis of these simulations. Areas of potential focus, depending on expertise and interest, could include Earth system forcings and feedback; implications of climate overshoot; efficacy of negative emissions for climate cooling and reversibility, abrupt/rapid Earth system change.
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Contribute to the delivery of UKESM data to facilitate its use by downstream activities, e.g. climate impacts and regional downscaling, within FUTURA.
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Work with colleagues both inside and outside of the Met Office to facilitate and lead multi-model analysis through the international FUTURA consortium.
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Present and publish your results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature and interpret them for non-specialist audiences.
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 Senior Scientist in Earth System Modelling, your total reward package will be up to £60,268 annually, which includes:
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£43,081 base pay
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An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
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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:
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Lead Criteria: Independent research experience in any one of the following subject areas: Earth system science, atmospheric physics, atmospheric composition, ocean or cryosphere science within the Earth system, with evidence of productive research experience in a relevant field under limited supervision, and ability to turn broadly defined problems into high class research outputs. (Experts by Nature)
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A strong background in a relevant scientific field to PhD level, or equivalent experience.
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Advanced and demonstrated experience in developing, running and evaluating Earth system models and/or their submodels.
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Excellent scientific computing and programming skills, including analysing and visualisation of large datasets.
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Excellent organisation and collaborative skills, with demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality output both independently and as part of a team, meeting tight deadlines, and planning and organising your own work and that of others as required. (Better Together)
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Excellent oral and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to communicate complex scientific and/or technical information clearly and effectively to a range of audiences, with evidence of leading reports, peer-reviewed papers and presenting work at conferences.
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 1 role which is being advertised at 2 levels (Scientist and Senior Scientist). Those wishing to be considered at multiple levels should submit an application at each level.
Closing date 26/06/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 28/07/2026. 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 at [email protected].
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 at: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: [email protected]
