Research & Development Industrial Placement - Global Process- Compression Popping & Extrusion

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

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 2027 on a full-time basis.

Innovation takes centre stage at Pepsi Co! 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.

Within the R&D Global Foods Process Capability Teams, specifically the Compression Popping and Extrusion team, you will be involved in identifying, exploring and evaluating new technologies as well as improving the design performance and efficiency of existing technologies for Pepsi Co. The main aspects of the role involves managing work streams in technology evaluation projects, which means designing and conducting experiments to build scientific understanding, and manufacturing product prototypes to illustrate possibilities and progress.

What will you be doing?

• Leading and executing your own experimental studies at both bench and pilot scale to build insights to support the development of new technologies
• Owning and managing project activity, program and budget and connections with external and internal stakeholders
• Sustain an organized environment in the pilot plant during periods of high activity, including working with pilot plant team to ensure a seamless supply of raw materials and services
• Participate in safety and risk assessment aspects of projects
• Analyse and interpret key data from existing operation plants to understand current performance and potential for improvements
• Support plant testing of new technology developments working with the team to evaluate or validate performance
• Support the knowledge capture and transfer of best practice between the full scale production lines across the business globally

What we are looking for:

• Following path to a degree level qualification in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering, or closely related disciplines such as Manufacturing Engineering, Food Engineering, Natural Sciences
• 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
• Concise and persuasive communicator with first class written and verbal presentation skills, especially to non-technical audiences. Also, with good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate to a diverse audience
• Strong and broad range of digital skills; highly computer literate. Preferably including competent programming skills, ideally a working knowledge of Python, and knowledge of Modelling & Simulation tools
• Solid fundamental scientific understanding of fluid…