Metadata and Recovery Specialist

Job Introduction

We’re looking for a MetaData and Recovery Specialist to help us make a difference to our planet. 

As our MetaData and Recovery 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. This post may be based in Edinburgh or Eskdalemuir.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 34 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. 

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

This is a great opportunity to work with and be supported by the Met Office Surface Observations Quality Management 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 surface climate observations to be recovered to the national archives, but also to ensure the quality is known and there is sufficient observational metadata to enable use of these observations in perpetuity. 

Your key duties:

• Define and implement processes for the capture, loading, storage and Quality Control of historic data and metadata that ensures the integrity of both.
• Manage, and undertake, the analysis of meteorological observations to identify erroneous data, establish the root cause of problems and ensure solutions are implemented. 
• Manage, and undertake, the analysis of observational metadata to identify missing data or erroneous data, establish the root cause of problems and ensure solutions are implemented. 
• To manage and undertake the current operational delivery of metadata management services for land and marine surface observation networks, ensuring population of international databases. 
• To work closely with the surface observation network management teams to agree and implement changes and improvements to the metadata management processes.

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 and 2024 lists, as well as their ’54 Best Workplaces for Women’ 2023 list.

As our MetaData and Recovery Specialist, your total reward package will be up to £47,606 annually, which includes: 

• £33,794 base pay.
• 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.

Essential Criteria, skills and experience: 

1. Expert by nature: evidence of a broad knowledge of the characteristics of Land or Marine meteorological observing system data and quality.
2. Data quality control: proven ability to analyse meteorological observations to identify erroneous data, establish the root cause of problems and ensure solutions are implemented. 
3. Live and breathe it: able to demonstrate an understanding of the user requirements for observational metadata and its importance both operationally and for climate science. 
4. Proven experience of working with databases and SQL to populate and interrogate large volumes of complex data. 
5. Evidence that you keep evolving and work better together by planning and prioritising work to ensure customer requirements are met and service improvements are implemented and documented.
6. A physical science-based degree, or equivalent experience.

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 12/05/2025 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 26/05/2025. You will hear from us once the closing date has passed. 

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. You will need to achieve full security clearance within your first 6 months with us.