Transportation Jobs in Guápiles, Costa Rica (Now Hiring) — 5 open

About the role & employer

A national aviation weather authority in the Caribbean is standing up a new, 24/7 ICAO Annex 3‑compliant aviation weather centre, and is seeking a Chief Meteorologist to serve as its founding meteorological leader.

The Chief Meteorologist will be directly employed by the national aviation weather authority operating the centre and NOT an employee of Tomorrow.io. The centre is being established with the support of Tomorrow.io, whose platform, training programs, and operational methodologies underpin the new operation.

This is a rare build‑from‑the‑ground‑up leadership role. You will hire and lead the forecasting team, define the operational standards and forecasting methodologies the centre runs on, and own the delivery of aviation weather products such as SIGMETs, AIRMETs, SIGWx, FPGS, TAFs and METARs for one of the busiest oceanic flight information regions in the hemisphere. You will be the senior meteorological voice of a brand-new operation, working alongside the civil aviation authority, ICAO, and airline stakeholders as the centre scales to round‑the‑clock operations.

If you are an experienced aviation meteorologist who has led forecasters, thrives in high‑tempo operations, and wants to put your name on something new, this is the seat.

What you’ll do

• Serve as the lead meteorologist and head of the forecasting team for a new aviation weather centre, accountable for meteorological quality and operational performance
• Recruit, interview, and help select the meteorologist team; build the roster of shift managers and aviation forecasters from the ground up
• Manage, mentor, and develop the team; set shift structure and rosters, and lead the transition to 24/7 watch operations
• Establish and maintain the centre’s operating standards; forecasting methodologies, standard operating procedures, and quality benchmarks aligned to ICAO Annex 3 and WMO aviation forecaster competency frameworks
• Own day‑to‑day forecast operations, with particular focus on convective, turbulence, icing, and tropical/severe weather across the region’s airspace and aerodromes
• Author, review, and approve operational outputs; SIGMETs, AIRMETs, SIGWx, FPGs, TAFs, METARs, prior to dissemination, and act as final quality control
• Lead daily operational briefings and represent the centre with the civil aviation authority, ICAO, and airline counterparts on meteorological matters
• Design and oversee competency assessment, recurrent training, and requalification for the forecasting team

What you bring

• Degree in meteorology, atmospheric science, or a closely related field (or equivalent operational qualification)  
• 8+ years of operational meteorology experience, with a strong aviation forecasting background 
• Demonstrated managerial or team‑lead experience; leading a team of meteorologists, including recruiting, performance management, and setting operational standards 
• Deep expertise forecasting convective weather and tropical / Caribbean storm systems (tropical convection, hurricanes, tropical storms) in a maritime environment  
• Strong command of ICAO Annex 3 aviation MET products (SIGMET, AIRMET, SIGWx, FPGs, TAF, METAR) and WMO aviation forecaster competency standards (BIP‑M or equivalent)  
• Experience producing TAFs and convective, turbulence, and icing forecasts for aviation over large geographic areas
• Familiarity with airline operations, FIR / airspace structure, and air traffic management
• Proven ability to work and lead within a 24/7 shift operation, keeping composure and meeting hard deadlines under pressure
• Outstanding verbal and written communication; comfortable briefing regulators, authorities, and airline stakeholders
• Willingness to relocate to a Caribbean location (disclosed during the process) 

Strongly preferred

• Direct forecasting experience in the Caribbean or a comparable tropical maritime environment
• Experience standing up, transforming, or accrediting a meteorological watch office or aviation weather centre
• Well-versed in modern meteorological forecasting techniques and numerical weather prediction models

Location, relocation & schedule

This is a full‑time, onsite role based at a Caribbean location. The exact location will be shared with candidates during the interview process. Relocation support is available. The role sits within a 24/7 operational environment; the Chief Meteorologist leads the team through the standup toward continuous shift coverage.