Marine Data Specialist

Job summary

We’re looking for a Marine Data Specialist to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Marine Data 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, based in Edinburgh or Eskdalemuir Observatory. 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

  You will work with and be supported by the Met Office Surface Observations Quality Management (OBQM) 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 quality issues in operational and national archives, but also to enable use of these observations in perpetuity.

  As a data specialist in the OBQM team, you will manage and deliver data quality management services that meet the customer requirements, whilst ensuring improvements are identified and implemented.

Job description

• Manage, and undertake, the analysis of meteorological observations to identify erroneous data, establish the root cause of problems and ensure solutions are implemented.
• Assess the performance of observing systems and produce regular reports on data quality, making recommendations for improvements.
• Provide mentoring and training to team members and others on quality control procedures for observations. Undertake appropriate training and development to ensure skills remain current and evolve with business need.
• Develop and maintain relationships with our customers, partners and suppliers as well as the operational staff.
• Establish and document procedures and standards for the delivery of data quality control services and contribute to the development of the observation’s quality management team plans.
• Contribute to the development of teamwork plans and support the development of wider work plans to improve local work practices, operational outputs and customer service.

Person specification

1. Ability to apply knowledge of meteorology and observing equipment to analyse the quality of surface observations, identify the root cause of problems and ensure a solution is implemented. (Live and Breathe It)
2. Broad knowledge of the characteristics of surface weather observations, including marine data, and the strengths and weaknesses of different measurement methods. (Expert by Nature)
3. Evidence of planning and prioritising work to ensure customer requirements are met and service improvements are implemented.
4. Ability to communicate with customers, suppliers or colleagues to improve service delivery and resolve issues. (Keep Evolving)
5. Evidence of contributing to the documentation of procedures for the provision of operational services and/or the writing of technical reports.
6. Ability to provide training or mentoring in the quality control of weather observations. (Better Together)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,145, Met Office contributes £10,181 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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 Marine Data Specialist, your total reward package will be up to £49,448 annually (pro-rata), which includes:

• £35,145 base pay (pro-rata).
• 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.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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 11/11/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 23/11//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 removed].

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 lin