Operational Meteorologist - Heathrow

We’re looking for an Operational Meteorologist to join our team at Heathrow to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Operational Meteorologist at Heathrow, 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, based within Heathrow's Airport Operations Centre (APOC). We would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 21.5 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a job share. 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 12 months, 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.

• 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

We’re looking for an Operational Meteorologist to join our Met Office team at Heathrow Airport from November 2026 onwards. This is a unique opportunity to work at the heart of one of the world’s busiest airports, providing critical meteorological insight that directly influences operational decisions during disruptive weather.

Your role as an Operational Meteorologist within the Met Office involves interpreting real-time weather information and delivering meteorological and environmental services and advice to support decision makers. Services are delivered both face-to-face and remotely, depending on the customer requirements and location.

Working onsite at Heathrow, you'll collaborate closely with airport and airside stakeholders to ensure resilience and safety. Your expertise will help maintain 24/7 oversight of Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) issuance and intervention, supporting Heathrow’s strategic operations. You'll work on the London Terminal Maneuvering Area (LTMA) bench in Civil Aviation, which completes Regulated Aviation work for London and South-east England, as well as commercial advice to some key London customers, such as Gatwick and London City.

Your key duties:

• Be part of a shift working team to provide observing and forecasting capability to support customer operations.
• Using local knowledge, analyse and enhance forecast guidance, to deliver services and advice to the customer in a style that suits their requirements.
• Deliver high-quality services to the customer, including briefings, and through customer engagement look to continually improve these products and services.
• Through use of excellent customer liaison skills and enhanced customer knowledge, provide guidance on impacts to allow the customer to operate in the most safe and cost-effective manner.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 28/09/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 07/10/2026. 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 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 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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.