Operational Meteorologist - Heathrow

ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY; Hounslow; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pension

London Location Allowance

Annual Leave 27.5–32.5 days

Job summary

The Met Office at Heathrow Airport is seeking an Operational Meteorologist to join the APOC team from November 2026, in a role that supports decision-making during disruptive weather.

You will interpret real-time weather data, deliver meteorological services to stakeholders face-to-face or remotely, and contribute to 24/7 METAR oversight and LTMA work, with flexible patterns including hybrid working.

Qualifications

• Operational forecasting experience and understanding of weather impact on customers.
• Evidence of communicating meteorological information to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work as part of a team and contribute to team goals.
• Willingness to engage in development of new capabilities and ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Be part of a shift working team to provide observing and forecasting capability to support customer operations.
• Analyse and enhance forecast guidance using local knowledge to deliver tailored services.
• Deliver high-quality services including briefings and customer engagement to improve products.
• Provide guidance on weather impacts to help customers operate safely and cost-effectively.

Skills

Operational forecasting

Meteorologist accreditation

Communication skills

Teamwork

Adaptability

Education

WMO accreditation

Forecaster Foundation Training AMF (AMO) accreditation

Job description

Operational Meteorologist - Heathrow

Academic Posting

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

Your world of expertise

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.

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 Operational Meteorologist - Heathrow, your total reward package will be up to £53,848 annually, which includes:

• £35,145 base pay.
• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Unsocial Hours Allowance (UHA) - Shift Disturbance Allowance of £1,200 pro-rata, for working on an operational shift roster.
• Unsocial Hours Allowance (UHA) - Hourly Rate of £4.50 per hour for qualifying hours working in unsocial hours (20:00hrs - 06:00hrs and weekends).
• London Location Allowance of £3,200 per annum.
• 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. Qualified Meteorologist and holder of a World Meteorological Organization accreditation or equivalent e.g. Forecaster Foundation Training Programme with Aeronautical Meteorological Forecaster (AMF) accreditation meeting BIP-M standard. You must hold or be willing to complete the Aeronautical Meteorological Observer (AMO) accreditation. (Lead Criteria)
2. Evidence of being an Expert by Nature through having operational forecasting experience and a strong understanding of weather impact on customers.
3. Show you Live and Breathe It with evidence of communicating meteorological information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
4. Evidence of being Better Together, with the ability to work as part of a team, contributing towards team goals.
5. Keep Evolving with a willingness to actively engage and contribute towards the development of new capabilities and ways of working.

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

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 [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 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.

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]