Research & Development Product Experience Placement

Are you looking for a placement scheme that will empower you to unlock your potential whilst working for the world's largest food and drink manufacturer? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you!

Explore our Research & Development Product Experience Placement Scheme

What will you do?

When you join Nestlé's Research & Development Product Experience Placement scheme, you will embark on an exciting 12-month development journey based at our Product Technology Centre in York, gaining hands-on experience in product innovation and renovation with the consumer at the heart.

You will work on exciting confectionery projects, collaborate with different teams and have an impact on brands such as KitKat and many more.

You will be part of a vibrant, diverse environment where expertise and passion come together to solve problems through innovation and create products designed to delight consumers. Based in York, you'll work alongside teams of engineers, technologists, confectioners, technicians and nutritionists, made up of over 30 nationalities.

With the support of expert mentors, you'll collaborate with teams across different parts of the business and engage with stakeholders globally to deliver meaningful results. You'll also have opportunities to visit factories and sites across the UK and beyond to understand how consumer and sensory insights help us create the best product experience.

This role will support the development of your collaboration and influencing skills, using best-in-class analytical methods as you participate in projects led by experts who are ready to share their experience and knowledge.

What makes this Research & Development Product Experience Scheme exciting?

- Consumer-focused innovation-renovation: Explore how sensory and consumer insights shape product innovation and renovation across some of Nestlé's much-loved brands.

- Expert mentorship: Work alongside experienced specialists who will share their knowledge and support your development throughout the scheme.

- Impactful projects: Contribute to projects that update and build methodologies and guidelines for future product development.

- Cross-functional exposure: Collaborate with teams across R&D, manufacturing and the wider business, building your understanding of how different functions work together.

- Global stakeholder engagement: Develop your confidence working with stakeholders across the business and wider Consumer and Sensory Insights network.

What will you learn?

- Consumer and sensory insight foundations: Build your understanding of how consumer needs, sensory science and data help inform product development decisions.

- Analytical thinking: Apply best-in-class analytical methods, including statistical analysis, to support meaningful product insights.

- Collaboration and influencing: Develop your ability to work with different teams, share recommendations and influence stakeholders effectively.

- Innovation and problem-solving: Learn how to identify opportunities, solve challenges and contribute practical insight-led solutions.

- Continuous learning: Take ownership of your development through mentoring, graduate activities and hands-on project experience designed to help you learn, innovate, solve and inspire.

Our commitment to you…

We will support you every step of the way, the following are just some of our offerings to enable you to thrive with us:

- Flexible working options

- Inclusive culture, join our variety of employee run networks!

- Comprehensive benefits

- Pastoral support

- Employee Assistance Programme

- Potential relocation support (£2,000)

- Gym facilities

- Prayer rooms

- Rewards and recognition

Eligibility requirements

You will need to have the right to work in the UK that is not time-limited and does not require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route either at the start of the scheme or on completion.

To qualify for this role, we ask that you have a background in food, ideally with some knowledge of sensory and consumer insights, including statistical analysis. Most importantly, we are looking for candidates with potential, curiosity and a passion for the role. We welcome applications from all backgrounds — just be yourself and show us what you've got.

The recruitment journey

After you click "apply" you'll be prompted to answer a few questions to determine your eligibility for the scheme. If you qualify, we will invite you to complete an online assessment which you can practice here. Please do not upload a CV, instead we ask you to upload any relevant qualifications to support your application.

Once you have completed this stage, we will notify you if you are selected to attend an in-person assessment centre which will be held in York between January and March 2027. It may take a little bit of time between assessment stages to get back to you, we really appreciate your patience.

Adjustments

We recognise that each candidate has unique needs, and we are committed to ensuring an inclusive application process. You will have the opportunity to discuss any specific requirements or adjustments you may need as you navigate through our recruitment process.

We may occasionally close job advertisements early in the event we receive sufficient applicants, so please don't delay in submitting your application.

At Nestlé, our values are rooted in respect – for our employees, our customers and our consumers. That's why championing diversity and inclusion is so important to us. When we embrace different perspectives and give everyone the chance to be the best they can be, we can think in new, creative ways that grow and enhance our business. We are committed to equal opportunity for all and we may collect relevant data for monitoring purposes during our candidate registration process.