Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Weather Officer

🎯 Role Definition

A Weather Officer (also referred to as Meteorologist, Forecast Officer, Aviation Weather Officer, or Meteorological Operations Officer) is responsible for producing accurate, timely, and actionable weather intelligence to inform operational decisions across aviation, marine, defense, emergency management, and public safety sectors. The Weather Officer gathers observational and model data, performs synoptic and mesoscale analysis, issues warnings and briefings, liaises with stakeholders, and contributes to continuous improvement of forecasting systems, processes, and training.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Meteorological Analyst / Observations Technician
Junior Forecast Officer / Forecast Trainee
Atmospheric Science Graduate with operational internship experience

Advancement To:

Senior Weather Officer / Lead Forecaster
Chief Meteorologist / Meteorological Operations Manager
Warning Coordination Meteorologist / Head of Forecasting Unit

Lateral Moves:

Aviation Weather Specialist
Marine Meteorologist
Climate Services Analyst
Environmental Risk Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Produce operational forecasts and concise, audience-tailored weather briefings (written, spoken, and visual) for aviation, maritime, military, emergency management, and public safety customers, ensuring clarity of impact, timing, confidence, and recommended mitigations.
Monitor global and regional numerical weather prediction (NWP) outputs, model ensembles, and trend diagnostics, synthesize model guidance with observations, and translate model uncertainty into forecast confidence statements and contingency plans.
Perform continuous synoptic, mesoscale and microscale analysis using surface/upper-air observations, satellite imagery, Doppler radar, wind profilers, sodar/lidar data, lightning detection networks, and other remote sensing platforms to detect evolving weather threats.
Issue timely watches, warnings, advisories, and alerts (e.g., severe convective storms, tropical cyclone, heavy rainfall, visibility/icing, wind shear, fog, freezing precipitation) in accordance with organizational policies and national/regional warning criteria.
Develop and deliver pre-mission and pre-flight weather briefings and weather impact forecasts for aviation operations including runway contamination, crosswind limits, ceiling/visibility minima, turbulence, icing, and NOTAM inputs.
Conduct real-time weather support during operations and exercises (e.g., airlift, search and rescue, maritime convoys, field deployments), providing rapid updates, risk assessments, and go/no-go recommendations to commanders and operations centers.
Maintain and quality-control surface and upper-air observational networks (METAR/TAF sites, automated weather stations, radiosonde launches), verify data quality, and coordinate maintenance or calibration with technical teams.
Create and maintain forecast products, tailored weather graphics, probabilistic products, and automated dissemination templates for web, mobile, and machine-to-machine distribution; ensure metadata and version control practices are followed.
Collaborate with hydrologists, oceanographers, climate scientists, and risk managers to integrate weather forecasts into riverine flood, coastal inundation, and marine operations planning and early-warning systems.
Conduct severe weather spotter coordination, community outreach, and liaison with local emergency managers to ensure warnings and safety messages reach vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure operators.
Perform post-event analysis and verification studies to measure forecast skill, identify biases, and quantify performance metrics; prepare after-action reports and recommendations for process, training, and modeling improvements.
Support the development, testing and operational implementation of new forecast tools, machine learning products, and post-processing techniques to improve lead times, probabilistic forecasting, and impact-based decision support.
Maintain situational awareness of climatological norms and seasonal hazards; prepare outlooks, seasonal guidance, and long-lead risk assessments that inform operational planning and resource allocation.
Manage and prioritize multiple time-sensitive forecast tasks during high-impact or multi-hazard events while maintaining accuracy and clear communication across stakeholder groups.
Ensure compliance with national and international meteorological standards, safety-of-life procedures, metadata conventions (e.g., WMO), and organizational operating procedures for record keeping and audit trails.
Provide mentorship and formal on-the-job training to junior forecasters, interns, and cross-functional staff; develop lesson plans, case studies, and competency assessments to build forecasting capacity.
Liaise with external partners and vendors — including national weather services, research institutions, and private providers — to share data, coordinate warnings, and integrate best-available science into operations.
Design and conduct scenario-based exercises and tabletop drills that simulate severe weather impacts, validate decision-support tools, and improve multi-agency communication protocols.
Configure, test and troubleshoot forecasting workstations, visualization suites, GIS integrations, and automated alerting pipelines to ensure resilient and redundant service delivery.
Translate meteorological information into actionable, impact-based messaging for non-technical audiences, emphasizing safety actions and operational mitigations aligned with organizational risk thresholds.
Keep abreast of advancements in atmospheric science, NWP, remote sensing, and climate change impacts through continuous professional development and participation in conferences, workshops, and scientific collaborations.
Maintain readiness documentation, shift schedules, and handover briefs to ensure seamless continuity of service between duty periods and multiple forecast centers.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and perform exploratory analysis to answer operational questions and inform short-notice decision-making.
Contribute to the organization's meteorological strategy and roadmap, identifying opportunities for automation, new data sources, and improved dissemination channels.
Collaborate with IT, data engineering, and GIS teams to translate forecast product requirements into technical specifications and user stories.
Participate in shift rotations, on-call rosters, and emergency response activations, ensuring availability and rapid mobilization during high-impact events.
Help prepare internal briefings, executive summaries, and risk assessments for senior leadership and partner agencies.
Assist with procurement evaluation for sensors, software, and third-party forecast services, providing technical requirements and test criteria.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Operational forecasting: skilled at synoptic and mesoscale analysis and producing operationally actionable forecasts for short-, medium-, and long-range time windows.
Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP): experience interpreting global and convection-permitting models (e.g., GFS, ECMWF, HRRR, ICON) and ensemble systems; knowledge of model bias and post-processing techniques.
Remote sensing and radar: proficiency with satellite imagery (geostationary and polar), Doppler/dual-polarization radar interpretation, and derived products (VIL, severe-hail indices, wind fields).
Observation systems & data QC: familiarity with METAR/TAF generation, automated weather station maintenance, upper-air soundings, and quality control/assimilation principles.
Aviation meteorology: ability to prepare aviation-specific forecasts and briefings including TAFs, SIGMETs, AIRMETs, and wind-shear/icing assessments (if role is aviation-focused).
Marine and hydrometeorology: knowledge of wind-wave interactions, sea state forecasting, coastal flood risk, and liaison with oceanographic services (for marine roles).
Warning systems & dissemination: experience issuing watches/warnings, configuring alert thresholds, and integrating with SMS, CAP, web APIs, and emergency notification systems.
GIS & visualization: competence with geospatial tools (ArcGIS/QGIS), plotting meteorological fields, and creating impact-centered maps and dashboards.
Programming and data tools: working knowledge of Python, R, MATLAB, or IDL for data analysis, scripting forecast workflows, and developing verification tools.
Statistical & probabilistic forecasting: experience with ensemble interpretation, probabilistic product creation, verification metrics (CRPS, Brier score), and communicating uncertainty.
Machine learning & post-processing (desirable): exposure to ML techniques for nowcasting, bias correction, or feature extraction from satellite/radar datasets.
Systems and network resilience: understanding of redundancy, failover procedures, and continuity planning for critical forecast systems.

Soft Skills

Clear communicator: able to translate complex meteorological information into concise, understandable, and actionable guidance for diverse stakeholders.
Decision-making under pressure: proven ability to prioritize, synthesize imperfect information, and make timely recommendations in fast-moving situations.
Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: experience building relationships with operational teams, emergency managers, pilots, mariners, and external meteorological partners.
Attention to detail and analytical rigor: methodical approach to verification, documentation, and quality control to minimize operational risk.
Teaching and mentoring: aptitude for coaching junior staff, running training sessions, and developing competency-based learning materials.
Adaptability and continuous learning: comfortable with changing technology, evolving science, and multi-disciplinary team environments.
Problem solving: ability to troubleshoot technical issues, forecast anomalies, and propose pragmatic workarounds for operational continuity.
Professional judgement and ethics: demonstrates situational awareness, accountability for public safety messages, and adherence to regulatory frameworks.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Applied Meteorology, or closely related physical science (e.g., Oceanography, Environmental Science, Physics with coursework in atmospheric topics).

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Sciences, Climatology, or related discipline; specialized certifications (e.g., Certified Consulting Meteorologist, aviation weather certifications, WMO-endorsed courses) are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Meteorology / Atmospheric Sciences
Climatology / Climate Science
Oceanography / Marine Science
Environmental Science / Hydrology
Physics or Geophysics with atmospheric emphasis
Data Science or Computer Science (for roles with heavy modeling/automation)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–10+ years of relevant operational forecasting experience, depending on seniority (junior/operational: 2–4 years; mid-level: 4–8 years; senior: 8+ years).

Preferred:

3–5 years minimum in an operational forecasting environment (national weather service, military METOC unit, aviation weather center, or private weather provider) for mid-level positions.
Demonstrated experience issuing warnings, supporting high-consequence operations (aviation/marine/defense/emergency response), and working 24/7 shift/on-call schedules where required.
Experience with model interpretation, verification studies, and applied meteorological product development is highly desirable.