Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme: Science Review Group Members

The Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme (MOHCCP) is a UK Government funded research initiative that aims to deliver scientific knowledge, expertise, and capability to meet the needs of the UK government and support the UK and global climate science and service communities.  

The UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are seeking a new member of the Science Review Group (SRG) which provides independent advice to the UK Government on the content, progress, scientific excellence, relevance and impact of the Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme.

At a high level the SRG has three roles: 

• Assessing the extent to which the MOHC Climate Programme undertakes science of the appropriate quality to provide the best advice on climate science to its government customers. 
• Assessing the relevance and impact that the Climate Programme has in providing climate science and services to support UK government policy and wider MOHC activities. 
• Assessing the impact that the Climate Programme has on the wider UK and international community, including its relationship with other research organisations, and the effectiveness of its communication activities.   

This is an exciting opportunity to join an international group of leading experts and directors of research institutes, in order to gain a comprehensive view of Met Office climate research and to help shape the Programme.

The appointment is for 4 years initially (covering annual meetings and reports from 2024 to 2027 inclusive) with the possibility of extension to a maximum of 8 years. The Terms of Reference for the SRG are available here. 

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• You will be an internationally-recognised expert in a topic (or topics) of climate research relevant to the Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme. At the moment the SRG is particularly looking to add expertise in the following area:
  • Artificial Intelligence and/or machine learning and its application in climate science. 
• You will have experience in either directing or reviewing large research programmes, with evidence of assessing quality and proving strategic direction.
• You will not be an existing member of staff in the Met Office or MOHC.

The role is honorary, however travel and subsistence for attendance at meetings will be provided. The time commitment is of approximately 4-5 days per year, with the majority centred around the annual in-person SRG meeting and report in January.

The responsibilities as SRG member are as follows:

• Attending and contributing to the annual three-day SRG meeting at the Met Office, Exeter, routinely held in January, including preparation through reading background papers. The next meeting will take place w/c 15th January 2024.
• Contributing to the yearly SRG report that is delivered to Government in February.
• Optional attendance at a virtual half-day mid-year review meeting, usually held in September.

To apply please send both your CV and a short covering letter to [email protected] by midnight on the 6th of November. In your cover letter you should describe your suitability for the role, including your experience in evaluating and setting strategic priorities in your research area, and what you would hope to bring to this role if you were appointed.

CVs will be sifted by an assessment panel and all candidates will be informed of the outcome of their application as soon as possible after that process is completed.

Any prospective applicants wanting to find out more about the role can contact Luis Garcia-Carreras ([email protected]) at DESNZ.

DESNZ, Defra and FCDO are equal opportunity employers. They do not discriminate or tolerate any form of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.