Regional Network Officer - South East England

Met Office; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The Met Office is seeking a Regional Network Officer for the South East England. This hybrid role combines field duties across the weather station network with occasional homeworking, requiring travel and overnight stays as needed.

You will oversee land observation sites, install instruments, coordinate voluntary observers, and ensure data quality and availability. The role demands physical work, cross-region collaboration, and flexibility to support national weather and climate records.

Qualifications

• Broad knowledge of land observing systems and instrumentation principles.
• Ability to supervise and guide voluntary observers and site authorities.
• Flexibility to work outside normal hours and travel for site visits.

Responsibilities

• Inspect and assess observing sites for standards and deploy instruments.
• Instruct and support voluntary observers to improve data quality.
• Ensure timeliness and availability of observations by monitoring performance and calibration.
• Manage site metadata and maintain instrument stocks.
• Plan site visits efficiently and coordinate with regional teams.
• Support verification of national weather and climate records as needed.

Skills

Regional focus

Observing systems knowledge

Instrument installation

Field travel readiness

Communication skills

Stakeholder liaison

Job description

We’re looking for an exceptional Regional Network Officer - South East England to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Regional Network Officer - South East England, the job involves hybrid working, which is where an employee works the majority of the week in our weather station network with some time working from home.

The post holder will have Geographic Worker Status. Due to the operational requirements of this role, applicants must reside within the geographical area covered by the position (South East England) to be eligible to apply.

Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week and we will also try our best to consider those intending to work a jobshare. Our people are at the heart of what we do and we'll do our best toagreea working pattern that works for everyone.

Whilst this is a temporary position for 2 years, 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 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 be the focal point within a region, ensuring the quality, timeliness, and availability of observations from surface-based observations networks.

As an Regional Network Officer (RNO), you will be responsible for overseeing land observation site performance, installing meteorological instruments, responding to incidents, and the inspection and maintenance of observing equipment to maintain the highest standards of observation quality, timeliness, and availability. You will be the first point of contact for voluntary observers and site authorities within your area of responsibility.

RNOs travel extensively, and the job holder is expected to become an authority on land surface meteorological instruments and methods of observation.

The roles require the ability to physically transport and install equipment at our weather stations, occasionally being required to trek over rough terrain, sometimes in challenging or poor weather. Overnight stays will be required, with up to 4 nights away from home per week. These roles involve travel by air and sea to remote islands.

Your key duties

• Inspect and assess the suitability of observing sites against documented standards, install or repair equipment and advise on the deployment of instruments to ensure that observing standards are met.
• Instruct, encourage, and provide feedback to voluntary observers on how to undertake the observing task to improve the quality and quantity of observations they produce.
• Ensure quality, timeliness, and availability of observations from observing sites meet requirements by monitoring performance, ensuring instrument calibration and accuracy, seeking new sites, and recommending sites for withdrawal or automation.
• Collect, manage, and archive site metadata in accordance with international requirements.
• Plan site visits in an efficient manner and manage and maintain sufficient local stocks of calibrated instruments, observing equipment and literature required.
• Work with colleagues in the Surface Observations Operations team and RNOs in neighbouring regions to ensure a network-wide quality management approach to the Met Office Surface observing networks.
• Occasionally visit land observation sites at short notice to support the verification of national weather and climate records

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 Regional Network Officer - South East England, your total reward package will be up to £49,448 annually, which includes:

• £35,145 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

• Lead Criteria: A broad knowledge of land observing systems, and an understanding of the principles behind the operation of manual and automatic instrumentation in the differing environments (We're experts by nature).
• A proven ability to work unsupervised, in an organised and timely manner, to deal with multiple tasks and prioritise a busy schedule (We keep evolving).
• A flexible approach to work, with a willingness to work outside normal office hours, and to undertake visits to observing locations involving overnight stays when required (We live and breathe it).
• Evidence of excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to influence, negotiate, and develop sound working relationships with external customers and team members (We're better together).
• A proven ability to communicate technical information clearly and concisely in a range of formats, and to a range of audiences with varying technical understanding (We're a force for good).
• Ability to physically transport and install equipment at weather stations, occasionally being required to trek over rough terrain, sometimes in challenging or poor weather.

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.

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].