R&D Industrial Placement: AI-Driven Process Innovation

PepsiCo Inc.; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vibrant culture

Development and mentoring

25 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays

Birthday leave

Discounted PepsiCo products

Competitive pension scheme

Health and wellbeing benefits: Virtual

Discounted gym membership

SWORD; online digital physiotherapy

Job summary

PepsiCo offers an undergraduate placement programme in Global R&D for 12 months starting July 2027. You will work on projects at the intersection of flavour, engineering and data science to deliver future-ready processing technologies.

You will conduct bench- and pilot-scale experiments, learn scale-up principles, and apply AI/ML insights while collaborating with internal teams and external partners in a fast-paced, safety-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Pursuing degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• Interest in hands-on experimental work at bench/pilot scale.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and conduct bench and pilot-scale experimental trials to develop processing technologies.
• Apply scale-up/down fundamentals to ensure transferability to commercial scale.
• Leverage AI, ML, and statistics to generate insights for decision-making.
• Develop technical solutions for process/engineering projects with internal and external collaborators.
• Maintain safe, organized pilot plant environment and ensure materials availability.
• Contribute to safety assessments of projects and processes.
• Collaborate with global partners and suppliers to advance technology.

Skills

Technical curiosity

Hands-on experimental work

Independent & team work

Strong communication

Team player

Safety consciousness

Education

Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Job description

PepsiCo offers an undergraduate placement programme in Global R&D for 12 months starting July 2027. You will work on projects at the intersection of flavour, engineering and data science to deliver future-ready processing technologies.

You will conduct bench- and pilot-scale experiments, learn scale-up principles, and apply AI/ML insights while collaborating with internal teams and external partners in a fast-paced, safety-focused environment.