Director of Meteorology

The Weather Channel

$150K — $180K *
Media
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Advanced degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or a related field
  • 10+ years of professional meteorological experience
  • At least 5 years of public-facing communication of forecasts
  • Proven leadership in cross-functional team settings
  • Expert knowledge of meteorological phenomena and numerical models

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the lead decision-maker for critical meteorological communications
  • Ensure scientific accuracy and adherence to standards across all platforms
  • Coach On-Camera Meteorologists on narrative clarity and forecast accuracy
  • Lead meteorological briefings for editorial meetings
  • Act as a liaison during breaking news situations between meteorological and production teams
  • Collaborate with the Principal Weather Producer for consistent messaging
  • Represent The Weather Group to government entities and scientific institutions

Benefits

  • Flexible schedule accommodating a 24/7 operational environment
  • Opportunities for professional growth and leadership development
  • Engagement in innovative weather communication technologies
  • Collaborative work with top meteorological and scientific experts
  • Participation in crucial weather and climate discussions at a national level
Full Job Description
Position Summary

The Director of Meteorology serves as the authoritative scientific compass for The Weather Channel. In this pivotal leadership role, you will leverage expert-level meteorological knowledge to guide company-wide forecasting strategy, drive scientifically sound storytelling, and uphold the highest standards of accuracy across all platforms.

As a master communicator, you will translate complex atmospheric science into engaging, clear, and relatable narratives for a nation-wide audience. You will serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership-informing critical operational decisions such as field crew deployments and breaking news preemptions-and act as our chief ambassador to the broader weather enterprise, government entities, and academic partners.

Note: This is not a 9-to-5 role. It is a dynamic leadership position driving the meteorological direction of a 24/7 news and intelligence organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Scientific Leadership & Quality Assurance

Network Authority: Serve as a principle decision-maker for high-stakes, network-imperative meteorological calls.

Accuracy & Standards: Review scripts, broadcast graphics, and published media across all digital and broadcast platforms to ensure flawless scientific accuracy and adherence to TWC standards.

Performance Coaching: Monitor airtime, review broadcasts, and provide constructive feedback to On-Camera Meteorologists (OCMs) on science communication, narrative clarity, and forecast accuracy.

Innovative Experiences: Serve as the guiding scientific voice for Immersive Mixed Reality (IMR) experiences

Editorial & Newsroom Integration

Daily Intelligence Briefings: Lead meteorological briefings during editorial meetings to guide daily story selection and production focus.

Breaking News Liaison: Act as the critical bridge between the meteorological team and editorial production teams-especially during fast-moving breaking news and extreme severe weather events.

Message Alignment: Collaborate closely with the Principal Weather Producer to align internal analysis with clear, consistent external messaging.

External Partnerships & Enterprise Relations

Chief Scientific Ambassador: Represent The Weather Group to local, state, and federal agencies, scientific institutions, and government officials.

Industry Engagement: Stay engaged with the broader weather enterprise to keep the network ahead of scientific advancements, technological shifts, and policy/political movements affecting the industry.

Education, Experience, Certification Requirements
  • Advanced Degree: Master's or Ph.D. in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, or a closely related physical science discipline.
  • 10+ Years Experience: Demonstrated track record of professional meteorological experience, including a minimum of 5 years actively communicating complex forecasts to the public.
  • Proven Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams, driving decision-making under high pressure, and mentoring technical talent

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
  • Expert level understanding meteorological phenomena for all seasons
  • Thorough comprehension of numerical models
  • Monitors and comprehends the latest peer-reviewed weather and climate studies
  • Strong ability to communicate orally and verbally. Ability to disseminate complex meteorological information in a useable and understandable manner
  • Ability to write scripts
  • Possesses exceptional interpersonal and teamwork skills
  • Proficient in leveraging AI toolsets to develop and create
  • Knowledge of social media and its role in the information and content gathering process
  • Ability to manage multiple projects, involving cross-functional teams, in an efficient manner
  • Exhibits creative problem solving skills and unique resourcefulness in order to complete tasks
  • Quickly learns and applies new technologies
  • Customer focused, innovative, and self-motivated
  • Receives feedback constructively and incorporates that feedback into work products and performance
  • Good multitasking and trouble-shooting skills
  • Displays strong collaborative skills and works effectively through conflict
  • Maintains high standards for product, performance, and ethics
  • Effectively contributes to team goals within a highly interactive, and at times, stressful environment
  • Dependable and flexible in a 24x7 operational environment

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