Research & Development Industrial Placement - Gatorade Sports Science Institute 2026

PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH; Leicester; On-site; GBP 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A global food and beverage leader in Leicester is seeking enthusiastic undergraduates for a 12-month R&D placement program starting July 2026. You will lead educational initiatives in elite sports environments and need a strong background in Sport and Exercise Science. The role offers a competitive salary of £25,500 and various benefits including annual leave and development opportunities.

Benefits

Vibrant culture

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Discounted PepsiCo products

Market-leading health benefits

Qualifications

• Students in their penultimate year with a right to work for the duration.
• Solid understanding of exercise physiology and sports psychology.
• Initiative and drive for results.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of educational materials.
• Support service testing in elite sports environments.
• Translate sports nutrition recommendations.

Skills

Creative skills

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Self-motivation

Organizational skills

Education

Degree in Sport and Exercise Science

Job description

Overview

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 2026 on a full-time basis. All our Research & Development opportunities are based out of Beaumont Park, Leicester.

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 focuses 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.

Overview of the role

The Gatorade Sports Science Institute is responsible for service and education engagements in Europe, as well as informing global programs. We work closely with the International Beverages team responsible for the Gatorade business, to add value to the brand partnerships and ensure that all Gatorade products and innovations are “backed by science”. Key partners include Manchester City FC, Wrexham FC, UEFA and most recently F1.

Responsibilities

What you will be doing:

• Lead the development of bespoke educational materials
• Support service testing of in elite sports environments
• Translate sports nutrition recommendations to functional cuisine
• Interpret data and generate athlete facing reports on experimental results
• Lead and organise international GSSI calls and meetings
• Learn new research and critical thinking skills with the opportunity to attend an international conference and potentially present abstract for presentation

Qualifications

What are we looking for?

• Students that have the full right to work for the duration of the full time placement (July 2026-July 2027).
• 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.
• Following path to a degree level qualification in Sport and Exercise Science
• Solid fundamental scientific understanding of exercise physiology, sports psychology and or related subjects
• Strong creative and analytical skills to translate scientific information into easy to digest information
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate to a diverse audience. Great written and verbal presentation skills.
• High degree of self-motivation combined with good organizational skills
• Initiative and drive to deliver results of trials and activities and able to be pro-active and multi-task.

What else do you need to know?

Our placements start in July 2026 on a full-time basis and will last for 12 months. The salary is £25,500.

Benefits

• Vibrant culture
• Development and mentoring
• 25 days annual leave plus 8 days bank holidays, birthday leave
• 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

Our application process involves

• Online application
• One way video interview sent to you by Talent Acquisition team: September- October 2025
• Virtual Assessment Centre November- December 2025 (subject to change)

Application Closing Date: 20th October

Our application window is scheduled to close on the above date, however, in the event of a large response we will close applications early. We would therefore encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated nearly $92 billion in net revenue in 2024, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

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