Roche internship in Medicinal Chemistry

The Position

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally.

This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Medicinal Chemistry department in Basel is focused on discovering innovative new medicines to treat major diseases in the areas of neuroscience, ophthalmology, rare diseases, infectious diseases and oncology.

The Medicinal Chemistry department is located in world‑class facilities with state‑of‑the‑art medicinal chemistry infrastructure.

Each year we host ~20 medicinal chemistry internship students from Universities throughout Europe, ensuring a very dynamic and collegial experience.

The Medicinal Chemistry department is composed of synthetic organic medicinal chemists dedicated to the discovery of new medicines of unmet medical need. We are part of Therapeutic Modalities, Small Molecule Research (pRED) and collaborate interactively with colleagues from all scientific and medical disciplines involved in drug discovery.

As an intern, you will move beyond academic theory to achieve real‑world impact by actively synthesising novel, small‑molecule candidates for live drug discovery projects within our pRED labs. This hands‑on experience allows you to master cutting‑edge organic chemistry synthetic methods and purification technologies.

Your practical work is complemented by a specialised tutorial program designed to deepen your understanding of medicinal chemistry and sharpen essential soft skills, such as scientific presentation. You will present your research results to your peers and the department via presentation and poster sessions, and will attend an education program which aims at strengthening your synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry skills.

A high‑performing chemistry student expecting to obtain a 1st class degree who may perform PhD research after their successful undergraduate studies. We seek a talent with the ambition to make an impact in healthcare and who thoroughly embraces the challenge of working in a team with a common goal. Successful applicants should relish the stimulation of working in an international environment.

Day‑to‑day scientific communication is in English, with an active interest in German or French a bonus.

You are currently enrolled in a Bachelor or Master degree program at a university or graduated within the last 12 months prior to the start date. For non‑EU/EFTA citizens: enrollment at the university for the entire internship is required and a letter from the university stating that the internship is mandatory for your studies. The letter should also specify the required length of the internship.

This is a full‑time medicinal chemistry internship. Duration: 12 months – starting September 1st, 2027 OR 6 months – starting September 1st, 2027, or March 1st, 2028.

A healthier future drives us to innovate.

Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come.

Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products.

We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We believe it’s urgent to deliver medical solutions right now – even as we develop innovations for the future.

We are passionate about transforming patients’ lives.

We are courageous in both decision and action.

And we believe that good business means a better world.

That is why we come to work each day.

We commit ourselves to scientific rigor, unassailable ethics, and access to medical innovations for all.

We do this today to build a better tomorrow.

We are proud of who we are, what we do, and how we do it.

We are many, working as one across functions, across companies, and across the world.

We are Roche.