Lead Developer

We’re looking for a Lead Developer to help us make a difference to our planet.

As our Lead Developer, 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, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week. Our people are at the heart of what we do and we’ll do our best toagreea 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 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

Working alongside another Lead Developer, you will provide technical leadership within our Transport Tribe. Our focus is delivering new services to the global aviation community, as part of our responsibility as a World Area Forecast Centre, as well as delivering new services to the rail and marine sectors. You will be working with cutting edge technology on some unique projects which help to ensure safe flight operations, rail journeys and marine voyages. When you join us, you’ll be fully supported by your teams to enable you to succeed and further develop your career at the Met Office.

Join us to work with these exciting technologies and more, as we push the boundaries of weather and climate science.

• Provide authoritative technical leadership to define, apply, and evolve modern development standards and practices across teams and complex projects.
• Be proficient in a wide range of technical systems.
• Be involved in identifying appropriate technology and approaches, deciding when software should be written
• Contribute to the developer community, promoting knowledge sharing and adoption of good practice.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching and mentoring your teams, acting as a task and/or line manager when required.

We operate an on-call roster in Technology to provide 24/7/365 support to respond to operational service requirements. This post may be part of an on-call roster and the post holder would be required to participate in an on-call roster where in operation.

This role could include line management and is aligned to the Government Digital and Data (GDaD) Profession Capability Framework Lead Developer - Management role level. For further information on these please refer to the relevant GDaD description on the GOV.UK website.

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 Lead Developer, your total reward package will be up to £79,657 annually, which includes:

• An outstanding Civil Service pension, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Recruitment Retention Allowance (RRA): you will be paid £3,800 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
• 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:

• Technical Leadership and Modern Development Standards: You can identify and apply modern development standards to support complex projects and programmes, operating with limited guidance and a high degree of autonomy. You can lead others in applying and adopting modern development standards across multiple teams. (Lead Criteria )
• Software Engineering for Complex, Large-Scale Systems using Cloud technologies: You can hold technical responsibility across the full software development lifecycle, providing expert guidance on programming, build, tooling, and compliance.You can set and maintains team standards for engineering quality, security, and maintainability when solving complex or novel problems. You have experience working with Cloud technologies, such as AWS or Azure.
• Systems Design and Organisational Alignment: You can lead on the design of systems with high complexity, impact, or risk, ensuring solutions align with wider organisational architecture, security constraints, and standards. You collaborate with team members to help guide and influence design decisions to achieve best outcomes.
• Stakeholder Engagement, Decision‑Making, and Influence: You can engage senior technical and non‑technical stakeholders, clearly communicating complex information to enable informed decisions. You exercise significant decision‑making authority over technical approaches, influencing outcomes across multiple teams within their area of responsibility.
• Line Management, Mentoring, and Team Leadership: You can act as a task and/or line manager in addition to technical leadership, supporting, mentoring and developing staff across multiple teams. You ensure individuals are coached effectively, performance is managed appropriately, and technical capability is grown within the organisation.

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

Closing date 16/11/2026 at 23:59 with first stage interviews commencing from 30/11/2026. 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 .

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 without caveats and/or restrictions for this role, 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: If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at:

Our rewards and benefits are as varied as our customers and our people, depending on your role, and which part of the business you join. The one thing they have in common is that they’re designed to recognise your contribution to our success.

Starting at 27.5 days and rising to 32.5 days after five years of service (both figures exclude bank holidays). As well as the flexibility to buy or sell annual leave annually.

You’ll automatically qualify to join our alpha pension scheme, part of the Civil Service Pension arrangements. The scheme is recognised as one of the most generous occupational pensions.

Lifestyle support

Whether you wish to utilise our excellent family-friendly schemes, be paid up to 3 days for volunteering with your chosen organisation, have the reassurance of a generous sickness pay scheme or be part of an organisation that is happy to pro-actively talk about flexible working the Met Office wants you to have a great work and lifestyle balance.

Established hybrid working

We have bases all over the UK and some roles allow for you to work abroad so there is the option to travel for work also, we have established amazing hybrid working practices across all of our offices and have enhanced technology to enable office and home-based meetings. We work with employees to agree on a suitable working pattern that works for us both and have various working patterns in place.

Investing in your development

The world around us is constantly changing. New technologies, shifting climate patterns, artificial intelligence. These factors and more shape the need for us to develop our skills and knowledge as a business and as individuals. Our investment in learning and development is testament to this and we have partnered with external bodies in each profession to help shape the way we develop the incredible talent right across the Met Office. We help everyone to understand their strengths and opportunities and tailor learning programmes that match their career. For us, this is world-leading learning and development.

I particularly enjoy having a significant amount of autonomy and being able to see the impacts of my work. I've found the Met Office to be a great place to kick-off my career. I've had a lot of opportunities to do on-the-job training, and one of the best things is that from day one I've felt like a valued member of my team. Read my story

Jonathan Murch

Head of Security Operations

This is much more than a career for me. It’s an adventure where every project, challenge and partnership supports my development while achieving amazing things. Read my story

Beth Harper

I love my role because every day is different. I like how varied it is and the fact that every day there are different customers to talk to, different problems to solve, and different solutions to work on. Read my story

Luke Carr

Software Developer

I’m afforded ample opportunities to explore new technological avenues. Being trusted in this way has enabled me to develop while contributing to my team’s output. Before joining the Met Office, I couldn’t have imagined this approach being viable in a software delivery team. And now it’s this forward-thinking spirit that keeps me excited and motivated. Read my story

Joe George

Lead Technical Architect

It's genuinely rewarding to work for an organisation that does incredible things, truly values and challenges me, enables me to work with other talented people, and where I can help to make a real impact in the UK and globally. Read my story

Jim Ovens

Lead Technical Architect

I returned to the Met Office motivated by our purpose to help people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. I know what I do is meaningful and that matters. Read my story

Mathew Gard

We're an expert voice representing technology and its possibilities, working together with other talented people in data, user design and products. Together we drive innovation in new technologies and ensure crucial data is made available for our customers to make decisions that affect their daily lives. The Met Office is a fantastic place to work and grow your career, with a well-defined corporate strategy and values that are embedded into our ways of working. Read my story

Software Developer

I particularly enjoy having a significant amount of autonomy and being able to see the impacts of my work. I've found the Met Office to be a great place to kick-off my career. I've had a lot of opportunities to do on-the-job training, and one of the best things is that from day one I've felt like a valued member of my team. Read my story

Jonathan Murch

Head of Security Operations

This is much more than a career for me. It’s an adventure where every project, challenge and partnership supports my development while achieving amazing things. Read my story

Beth Harper

I love my role because every day is different. I like how varied it is and the fact that every day there are different customers to talk to, different problems to solve, and different solutions to work on. Read my story

Luke Carr

Software Developer

I’m afforded ample opportunities to explore new technological avenues. Being trusted in this way has enabled me to develop while contributing to my team’s output. Before joining the Met Office, I couldn’t have imagined this approach being viable in a software delivery team. And now it’s this forward-thinking spirit that keeps me excited and motivated. Read my story

Joe George

Lead Technical Architect

It's genuinely rewarding to work for an organisation that does incredible things, truly values and challenges me, enables me to work with other talented people, and where I can help to make a real impact in the UK and globally. Read my story

Jim Ovens

Lead Technical Architect

I returned to the Met Office motivated by our purpose to help people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive. I know what I do is meaningful and that matters. Read my story

Mathew Gard

We're an expert voice representing technology and its possibilities, working together with other talented people in data, user design and products. Together we drive innovation in new technologies and ensure crucial data is made available for our customers to make decisions that affect their daily lives. The Met Office is a fantastic place to work and grow your career, with a well-defined corporate strategy and values that are embedded into our ways of working. Read my story

Our typical recruitment process

5. Assessment

Some roles may require you to attend an assessment day. Any job-specific assessments will be outlined in the job advert and more details will be provided at the interview stage.

6. Offer

If you are successful following the interview, the hiring manager will contact you to offer the role. The Resourcing Team will then follow up with an offer letter and start your onboarding.

7. Onboarding

Before we can confirm a start date, we will first need to complete security clearance and reference checks. These usually take between eight to ten weeks to complete. We'll also discuss any workplace adjustments that you may need. So they are in place on your first day.

On your first day your new manager will introduce you to the team and you’ll start our online corporate induction. You’ll also be asked to update your details in our People Hub system including bank details ready for your first pay day.

For those living outside of the UK, there are some roles where we can sponsor Skilled Worker visas. However, you will need to pass security clearance which requires you to have resided in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years and 2 of these years must be immediately preceding the point of your application.

2. Application

Apply through our careers website. Each application will be assessed against the essential criteria detailed in the job advert. We recommend that you use the CARL or STAR method to answer the key questions. Evidence your answers and reference our values to bring your application to life.

3. Screening

The sift panel will assess all applications against our essential criteria. Our screening process usually takes one to two weeks following the closing date of the advert. After which, we'll be in touch to let you know whether your application has progressed to the next stage.

4. Interview

Most recruitment processes will include a single-stage interview, some of which are virtual interviews and some may be in-person. Our interviews tend to blend competency questions, which focus on the essential criteria, with values-based questions.

5. Assessment

Some roles may require you to attend an assessment day. Any job-specific assessments will be outlined in the job advert and more details will be provided at the interview stage.

6. Offer

If you are successful following the interview, the hiring manager will contact you to offer the role. The Resourcing Team will then follow up with an offer letter and start your onboarding.

7. Onboarding

Before we can confirm a start date, we will first need to complete security clearance and reference checks. These usually take between eight to ten weeks to complete. We'll also discuss any workplace adjustments that you may need. So they are in place on your first day.

On your first day your new manager will introduce you to the team and you’ll start our online corporate induction. You’ll also be asked to update your details in our People Hub system including bank details ready for your first pay day.

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