Climate Adaptation Foundation Scientist

Generic role: Foundation Scientist

Profession: Science and Engineering

Permanent, Full time at Met Office, Exeter

Closing date for applications: 7 November 2012

Background information

Businesses and governments are now increasingly aware of the need to understand the risks and opportunities that climate change and variability poses to their interests, in order to inform suitable adaptation strategies.

The Climate Impacts team in the Met Office Hadley Centre has grown rapidly over the last few years in response to the increase in demand for research and consultancy on climate risks. We provide scientific advice and guidance to a wide range of customers including DECC, DEFRA and the energy, transport and water industries. Staff working in climate impacts and adaptation research and consultancy will work with world leading Met Office research scientists to understand current and potential capability. They will develop and apply the most up to date and relevant science to customer-focussed projects, and develop techniques and tools to quantify and communicate climate risks to our diverse customer base.

Specific job purpose

To apply and contribute to the development of innovative scientific techniques and tools for analysing and communicating risks and impacts of climate change to a wide range of customers.

Specific job responsibilities

• Develop the application of suitable techniques for analysing and quantifying the impacts and associated risks of climate change.
• Work with the wider Met Office team to understand current and future Met Office capabilities and identify and support capability development to address identified customer requirements.
• Contribute to project reports for customers and to the publication of scientific papers based on the project outputs (as applicable).
• Represent the Met Office at customer meetings, scientific conferences, seminars etc where the science of climate change, impacts and adaptation need to be presented, discussed and explored.

Qualifications, skills and abilities required

Essential

• A good background in physical science or maths to at least degree level (2:1 or above).
• Evidence of enthusiasm for a career in consultancy / applied research.
• Ability to learn new scientific and technical skills readily and apply them in response to customer requirements.
• Demonstrated drive to timely delivery of high quality output through effective planning and creation of solutions to obstacles.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate science both to specialists and non-specialists.
• Evidence of ability to build sound working relationships with wider colleagues.
• Experience in software tools and/or programming languages.
• Experience of extracting, analysing, interpreting, and displaying datasets.

Desirable

• Demonstrated ability to listen actively, discuss and understand the needs of scientific and non-scientific customers and propose scientific work packages to address those needs.
• Experience of delivering presentations at international conferences or to customers.
• Good understanding of current and emerging climate science.
• Peer-reviewed publications or equivalent level customer reports.
• Evidence of use of statistics in a research context.

Additional supplementary information

Willingness to travel both within the UK and overseas, potentially for extended periods.

If the successful candidate is currently in a role in the Met Office scientific framework, they will ordinarily remain in the role to which they are currently mapped.

Application forms and further information

Please mark your request or returned application form: Climate Adaptation Foundation Scientist 002545 R

Please complete this form (using Adobe Reader 9 or above). You can save the form part-way through and return to it later, using the Adobe Reader toolbar. Once you are happy with it submit it using the button at the end of the form. Alternatively, print the form out, complete by hand, and return by post.

 Download application form (PDF, 199 kB)

 Guidance notes and information for applicants (PDF, 57 kB)

If you require a Microsoft Word version of the application form, please email HREnquiries@metoffice.gov.ukincluding the words 'application request' in the subject line. An automatic email will be returned to you immediately. If you have not received an email within 48 hours then please contact us.

Alternatively, you can call or write to:

HR Customer Services
Met Office
FitzRoy Road
Exeter
EX1 3PB

Tel: 01392 885000

We are unable to reply to each applicant individually. If you have had no response from us within four weeks of the closing date please assume you have been unsuccessful. If you meet the sift criteria but have applied more than three times for the same or similar job within the last two years, it will be up to the recruiting manager's discretion whether to offer you an interview.

Nationality and residency requirements

All successful applicants offered conditional employment at the Met Office are required to undertake national security vetting. Usually successful applicants can start after satisfactory initial security vetting (whilst full national security vetting is undertaken), but for a small number of posts a higher level of vetting is needed. If you do not have five years' continuous UK residency this may take longer and we may have to reconsider your application if there are delays in the security procedure.

Please note that nationality and residency restrictions of this kind are common with all UK Civil Service departments and Executive Agencies.  For further guidance see the UK Border Agency's Working in the UK website.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled applicants

To widen the pool of candidates we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the published minimum criteria for the job.

To qualify for a guaranteed interview, you do not have to be registered as a disabled person but you must have a disability or long-term health condition that puts you at a substantial disadvantage in either obtaining or keeping employment. The disability must be likely to last for at least 12 months.

To apply for a guaranteed interview, please complete the appropriate section of the application form. When appropriate, you should provide details of any particular arrangements you will require for the interview, e.g. car parking, speech facilitator.

Any false declaration of disability to obtain an interview may invalidate any resultant contract of employment.

Priority status for staff in the Civil Service Surplus Talent Pool

If you are an existing Civil Servant and have applied through the CS Vacs website, your application will be given priority status, in that your application will be assessed for suitability before other applications are entertained. Surplus staff should provide a letter from their HR department confirming this status and attach it to their application form.

Civil Service Recruitment Principles

The Met Office's recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the HREnquiries@metoffice.gov.uk mailbox or telephone 01392 885000 in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Met Office, contact the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners.

Commitment to diversity

The Met Office values diversity and recruits on merit.

Benefits and facilities

Employees can join the Civil Service Pension Scheme called 'Nuvos', a defined benefit scheme which both you and the Met Office contribute to. You also have the option to join a partnership scheme where the employer can contribute and you can contribute if you wish. For more details please see the Civil Service Pensions website .

• Annual Leave allowance of 25 days (plus 8 days public holiday and 2½ privilege days taken at fixed times during the year).
• Training opportunities, performance-related pay and access to the Met Office sports and social club.
• The potential to work in different areas within the same organisation, but note that employees are expected to complete 24 months in post before applying for alternative posts within the Met Office.

Starting salaries

The pay range is stated at the top of the job description. Entry to the Met Office is normally at the pay range minimum.

Relocation

Unless stated in the job advert and job description, financial support is not available for candidates to move to the job location.

Payment of interview expenses

Candidates invited for interview will only be paid expenses if stated in the invite to interview letter.

Mobility

Appointed staff will normally have a full mobility clause written into their employment contract. A small number of roles have a limited mobility obligation.