Field Service Engineer Crawley

Met Office; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 44,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pension

Market allowance (£2,800 p.a.)

On-call allowance

Annual leave 27.5–32.5 days

Job summary

The Met Office is seeking a Field Service Engineer to install, maintain and service UK-wide observing networks, with occasional overseas work. You’ll join a team responsible for high‑quality data used in forecasts and climate work.

This full‑time role (37 hours), based in Crawley with potential hybrid working, includes 24/7 on‑call duties and a comprehensive training program to develop your electrical, electronic and mechanical skills. Apply to join our world-changing team.

Qualifications

• NVQ level 4+ in an Engineering discipline or equivalent.
• Full UK driving licence; prepared to drive pool vehicles.
• Willing to work away from home to meet business needs.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety regulations and CPD.

Responsibilities

• Develop work plans to improve systems and processes.
• Deliver maintenance and improvements on Met Office observing systems.
• Prepare documentation and reports for customers and internal use.
• Mentor teammates and provide guidance.
• Pursue ongoing professional development.

Skills

Engineering expertise

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

NVQ Level 4+ in Engineering

Job description

We’re looking for an exceptional Field Service Engineer to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Field Service Engineer, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office or on location 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 in Crawley, West Sussex. If you would like to discuss this role further, please contact Pete Eggbeer or Richard O'Boyle.

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

Your world of expertise

You will join the Met Office Field Service Engineering Team (FSE) to install, maintain and service UK-wide, (and occasionally overseas) observing networks. Observations are fundamental to almost all the services the Met Office provides; direct data and products, models, verification of forecasts, and for providing evidence of climate change.

Our engineers use their electronic, electrical, and mechanical skills to install, maintain and provide field support of observing systems. You will be joining a team who have responsibility for ensuring our systems continue to supply the high-quality data required to produce our products and services.

You will have the opportunity to work on a 24/7 on-call roster, which attracts additional allowances. This will be a ‘one week in two’ rotation but may vary across the year to account for annual leave and to ensure the number of days is balanced across the team.

On joining FSE you will be given all the training required to work on new and existing systems as well as having the opportunity to use and develop your existing skills and knowledge.

Your key duties

• Develop work plans, including identification of improvements to systems, capabilities and/or processes.
• Drive the delivery of work plans which repair, maintain, or improve Met Office observing systems and products.
• Author the generation and presentation of documentation and reports internally and externally to meet the needs of the customer and Met Office including, maintaining capability, integrity, standards, communicating advice and knowledge, and/or promoting reputation.
• Mentoring and providing guidance to other team members to improve the effectiveness of the team.
• Carry out continuing professional development in line with current and future needs of the Met Office.

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 Field Service Engineer, your total reward package will be up to £52,248.00 annually, which includes:

• £35,145.00 base pay
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA) you will be paid £2,800 per annum as a market supplement to reflect the demand for your skills. Whilst in post, you will be paid this marketdrivenallowance from April 2026 until March 2027 in your monthly pay
• Unsocial Hours Allowance (UHA) - Rostered on Call tiered payment for participation in an operational on-call roster depending on the tier which is pensionable and claimable via People Hub when applicable:
  • £40 - for 18-24 hour on-call roster period (outside of standard hours)
  • £25 - for 8 to 18 hours on-call roster period (outside of standard hours)
  • £15 - for less than 8 hour on-call roster period (outside of standard hours)
• 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:

• Demonstrable experience of being an expert by nature, providing proactive engineering and technical insight into problem solving. You will have NVQ level 4 or higher in an Engineering discipline or equivalent experience (Lead Criteria)
• Possess a valid UK driving licence and be prepared to drive officially provided pool vehicles to cover supported systems across the SE of England. Colour Perception CP2 or better is required to drive vehicles on airports or ports.
• Evidence of working better together with colleagues and/or wider stakeholders to understand your work requirements. Development of plans to meet these requirements. Be prepared to work away from home, as required, to meet business requirements.
• Demonstrate the application of good Quality Assurance processes, best practice, standards and regulations to all aspects of your work.
• Evidence of accurate, credible and tailored communication with colleagues and/or wider stakeholders.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of Health & Safety legislation and be prepared to work at heights of up to 25m.
• Evidence of the application of your theoretical and practical engineering knowledge in the repair and maintenance of electrical/electronic systems. You keep evolving through continual professional development (CPD).

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

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 [e-mail].

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 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: [e-mail] If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: [e-mail]