Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Weather Program Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

A Weather Program Specialist is an operationally focused meteorological professional responsible for designing, implementing, and managing weather and atmospheric observation programs, delivering actionable forecasts and warnings, and coordinating across internal and external stakeholders to ensure mission-critical decision support. This role blends technical expertise in forecasting, numerical weather prediction (NWP), remote sensing, and observational systems with program management, quality assurance, and stakeholder outreach to improve public safety, aviation support, and operational resilience.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Meteorological Technician or Weather Observer
Forecasting/Nowcasting Meteorologist (Entry or Junior Forecaster)
Data Analyst or GIS Specialist with atmospheric experience

Advancement To:

Senior Weather Program Specialist / Lead Meteorologist
Meteorology Program Manager or Operations Manager
Regional Meteorology Coordinator or Chief of Forecast Services

Lateral Moves:

Hydrologist or Flood Warning Specialist
Climate Services Analyst
Emergency Management / Incident Command Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead design, implementation, and continuous improvement of observational networks (surface, upper-air, radar, and remote sensing systems), including requirements definition, sensor siting, performance verification, and lifecycle maintenance to support accurate forecasting and situational awareness.
Produce operational short-term and medium-range meteorological analyses and forecasts (nowcasts, marine/aviation/hazard-specific forecasts) using a combination of numerical weather prediction models, satellite/radar imagery, and in-situ observations to provide clear, actionable guidance for stakeholders.
Develop, configure, and validate numerical weather prediction (NWP) model configurations (e.g., GFS, NAM, HRRR, WRF) and bias-correction/ensemble post-processing techniques to meet program performance targets and local forecast challenges.
Manage ingesting, QC, and assimilation of multi-source meteorological data streams (surface observations, AWOS/ASOS, radar, satellite, upper-air soundings, and remote sensors) into operational forecast workflows and model assimilation systems.
Establish and maintain automated data pipelines and real-time monitoring for observational instruments, ensuring data integrity, latency minimization, and rapid fault detection and response procedures.
Create and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), forecast verification protocols, and quality assurance frameworks to measure system performance, reduce forecast errors, and implement corrective actions.
Provide direct decision support and hazard messaging during weather events and emergencies, including issuance of advisories, warnings, and situation reports while coordinating with emergency management, public safety, aviation, and maritime partners.
Lead outreach, stakeholder engagement, and user needs assessments to design client-focused weather services, onboard new partners, and translate technical capabilities into operational value for internal and external customers.
Coordinate cross-agency and cross-functional efforts (e.g., NWS, FAA, DOT, NOAA, state emergency management) to synchronize observational networks, data sharing agreements, and joint warning/response activities.
Supervise and train meteorology staff, observers, and contractors in operational forecasting techniques, instrumentation maintenance, data QA/QC, and customer communication best practices.
Design and implement verification and performance-tracking systems for forecasts and observational network health, producing regular metrics, root-cause analyses, and recommendations for continuous improvement.
Manage procurement planning, vendor evaluation, and technical specifications for meteorological instruments, radars, and remote sensing platforms to meet program objectives and budget constraints.
Integrate new remote sensing capabilities (e.g., satellite products, radar dual-polarization, ceilometers) and advanced analytics (machine learning for pattern recognition) into operational workflows to enhance detection and early warning capabilities.
Oversee configuration and maintenance of GIS-enabled products and geospatial analysis for hazard mapping, exposure analysis, and dissemination of spatially referenced forecasts to partners and public users.
Prepare and deliver technical briefings, situational summaries, and after-action reports to leadership and stakeholders, translating complex meteorological information into clear, operationally relevant recommendations.
Implement and maintain data visualization and dissemination platforms (dashboards, web services, API endpoints) to ensure timely delivery of forecast products and observational data to partners and applications.
Ensure compliance with relevant standards, regulations, and best practices (FAA/ICAO guidelines, NWS directives, OMB/agency data policies) and contribute to policy development related to weather program operations.
Lead or participate in research-to-operations (R2O) transitions, testing and validating new models, algorithms, and instrumentation in operational environments, and producing transition plans and impact assessments.
Coordinate budget planning, grant writing support, and funding proposals for observational upgrades, research initiatives, and community-focused weather services.
Serve as technical lead during multi-agency exercises and real incidents, implementing Incident Command System (ICS) protocols, ensuring continuity of operations, and facilitating multi-disciplinary communication.
Develop training curricula, knowledge transfer materials, and hands-on workshops for partners and internal staff to improve meteorological literacy and end-user decision-making.
Monitor emerging scientific literature, technology trends, and best practices in atmospheric science and remote sensing, recommending adoption strategies and pilot programs to leadership.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist with the development of public-facing educational content and outreach materials to increase community awareness of weather hazards and preparedness measures.
Provide subject matter expert input for software development teams building visualization, alerting, or mobile forecasting applications.
Maintain documentation of system configurations, change logs, and vendor communications for auditability and traceability.
Support seasonal planning activities (e.g., winter storms, hurricane season) including resource allocation, staffing, and pre-deployment of temporary observational assets.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Operational forecasting and nowcasting using NWP outputs and multi-sensor observations; demonstrated ability to synthesize model guidance with real-time data to produce actionable forecasts.
Proficiency with numerical weather prediction systems and model evaluation (experience with GFS, NAM, HRRR, WRF, ensemble systems).
Strong radar and satellite remote sensing interpretation skills, including Doppler radar, dual-polarization products, and satellite-derived moisture/temperature products.
Experience managing and troubleshooting meteorological instrumentation and observational networks (AWOS, ASOS, surface/upper-air sensors, ceilometers, flux towers).
Data ingestion, quality control, and observational data assimilation workflows; familiarity with MET, METplus, or comparable verification and QC toolsets.
Programming and data analysis skills in Python (numpy, pandas, xarray), R, or MATLAB for processing large atmospheric datasets and automating workflows.
SQL and experience working with relational and time-series databases for storing and retrieving observational and model output data.
GIS and spatial analysis expertise (ArcGIS, QGIS, GeoPandas) to produce hazard maps, exposure analysis, and spatially enabled forecast products.
Experience with data visualization tools and dashboard platforms (Tableau, Grafana, Power BI, or custom web GIS) to deliver decision-support products.
Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure) and deploying meteorological workflows and data services in cloud environments.
Understanding of emergency management processes, Incident Command System (ICS) principles, and interagency coordination during severe weather events.
Knowledge of aviation weather services, NOTAM/airspace coordination, and FAA/ICAO weather guidance when supporting aviation stakeholders.
Experience applying model post-processing techniques (bias correction, MOS, model blending) and developing tailored forecast products for local climatology.
Basic familiarity with machine learning techniques for pattern recognition in meteorological data (e.g., convective initiation, severe weather detection).
Proven ability to author SOPs, verification reports, grant proposals, and technical specifications for procurement.

Soft Skills

Clear and concise communication skills for translating technical meteorological details into operational recommendations for non-technical stakeholders.
Strong stakeholder management and customer service orientation; experience gathering requirements and delivering client-focused weather services.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking with attention to detail in high-pressure, time-sensitive operational environments.
Leadership and team coordination skills; experience mentoring junior staff and coordinating cross-functional teams.
Adaptability and resilience during severe weather events and periods of rapid operational change.
Project management skills including scheduling, milestone tracking, risk management, and budget awareness.
Facilitation and training capabilities for conducting workshops, tabletop exercises, and technical briefings.
Sound judgment and decisive decision-making under uncertainty to prioritize forecast actions and communications.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Oceanography, Hydrology, Environmental Science, Geoscience, Physics, or related STEM field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Climate Science, or related field with coursework in numerical modeling, remote sensing, or hydrometeorology.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Meteorology / Atmospheric Science
Earth and Environmental Science
Oceanography / Hydrology
Physics / Applied Mathematics
Computer Science / Data Science (for model & data-focused roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressively responsible operational meteorology experience, observational network management, or related program support.

Preferred:

5+ years of operational forecasting, program management, or applied research-to-operations experience with demonstrated success in observational system deployment, stakeholder coordination, and decision support during high-impact weather events.
Prior experience working with national weather services, aviation/maritime clients, emergency management agencies, or federal/state observational programs is highly desirable.