Sport Sciences - Research & Development Industrial Placement 2025

PepsiCo Industrial Placements – Research & Development – 2025-2026 Cohort

You’ve learned a lot as a student already. Want to put it into practice at PepsiCo?

Our placement programmes are structured to give you the chance to make an impact on some of the world’s biggest brands. From day one, you’ll be working on projects that matter. You will shake things up, shape trends, and get guidance and development to help you discover your potential.

We are looking for enthusiastic undergraduates to join our R&D teams on a 12-month placement programme starting in July 2025 on a full-time basis.

Innovation takes centre stage at PepsiCo! That means our Global R&D team are at the heart of the action and are kept busy creating the products of the future, for our global consumers. In a fast-paced consumer environment, our research and development capability is crucial to provide a fresh twist to our favourite brands as well as creating new to the world healthy choices that we need to succeed in the market. Our research and development focusses on building a consumer-centric understanding, enabling us to design products for the latest consumer needs - whether nutrition, refreshment, or indulgence – driving our growth both now and in the future.

You’ll have lots of autonomy where your decisions will really make a difference to our business and in return, you’ll have the chance to develop your skills and experience in a fast paced, energetic environment.

Sport Sciences

Working in our GSSI team as a Nutrition Sports Sciences Technician your role will be to support GSSI international in working with the best athletes and sports teams in the world. It’s truly an amazing opportunity. Preferred degrees in Sports and Exercise Science, Sport Nutrition and closely related disciplines.

Key tasks:

• Service; you will be trained on GSSI standard operating procedures and accompany existing GSSI staff in the collection of data to inform personalised sports nutrition options. You will be required to complete the required paperwork and data entry into the GSSI global database, as well as assist in the testing process itself.
• Research; you will be encouraged to analyse the data collected and assist in report and manuscript preparations.
• Education; you will have the opportunity to attend the largest sports science conference in Europe and selected GSSI sponsored events
• Innovation; you will work on new Gatorade technologies and sports nutrition products to gain insights for future development.

What are we looking for?

• Students that have the full RTW for the duration of the full time placement (July 2025-July 2026).
• Students currently in their penultimate year of university studies, where the course includes the option of completing a sandwich placement before returning to study after the placement.
• An intellectual curiosity and a willingness to challenge accepted ways of doing things
• For our company, for your development, for sustainability and engineering delivery.
• Eagerness to learn and grow your career and aspire to be our future leaders.
• Bring your new thinking and fresh ideas to our brands.
• You! At PepsiCo we bring ourselves to work and embrace diversity and inclusion. We believe our differences is what makes us special.

What else do you need to know?

Our placements start in July 2025 on a full-time basis and will last for 12 months, with a salary of £23,800

Other benefits:

• Vibrant culture
• Development and mentoring
• 25 days annual leave plus 8 days bank holidays
• Discounted PepsiCo products
• Competitive pension scheme
• Market-leading health and wellbeing benefits: Virtual GP: available to you and your family 24/7, Discounted gym membership, SWORD; online free digital physiotherapy service

“The opportunities that PepsiCo have offered me as part of my role have been tremendous. I have been involved in multiple projects and activities on top of my day-to-day role which keeps my placement super exciting. I have met some outstanding and friendly people who I know I will keep in touch with after my placement year. The culture here is so collaborative and supportive that I’m never afraid to ask questions or ask to learn new things.”

• Niyanee Porte

Our application process involves:

• Online application
• Video interview sent to you by HR: October 2024
• Virtual Assessment Centre

Research & Development: November- December 2024 (subject to change).

If you have questions about the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]

Application Closing Date: 20th of October 2024

About PepsiCo:

PepsiCo UK is home to some of the world's most loved food and drink products. Making every day favourites like Walkers, Quaker, Doritos, Pipers and Monster Munch, to name a few! We have a fantastic reputation for developing and launching products that our consumers love. PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers around the world more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories. The company generated $91 billion in net revenue in 2023. In the UK we pride ourselves on being a great place to work and in 2023 have been awarded the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality (formerly Times Top 50 Employers for Women) for the 18th year in a row and Top Employer for the 12th year in a row. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability at the centre of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (Pep+). Pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability at the centre of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

We are an equal opportunity employer and comply with the Equality Act 2010, we value diversity at our company; it is an essential part of our success. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, pregnancy or maternity, marital/civil partnerships, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, gender or gender reassignment, disability or race including; colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin.

The food industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, employing 4 million people and generating £121 billion annually. Jobs in the food industry provide an environment where no two days are ever the same.

Beaumont Park, Leicester is home to our Europe R&D hub. This site hosts associates from R&D, Supply Chain and Consumer Relations. In addition to the office and meeting spaces, the site has state of the art pilot facilities, analytical labs and innovation kitchens.

In your role you’ll have a level of autonomy where your decisions will really make a difference to the support we provide to our business and in return you will have the chance to develop your skills and experience in a fast paced, energetic environment!