Food & Life Sciences
You apply your knowledge of nutrition, agriculture, and related sciences to help bring consumers delicious and healthier products.
Packaging Engineering
You are skilled in all things packaging, from selecting sustainable materials to producing finished containers.
Product Engineer
You turn ideas into testable samples. You scope, scout, source, and test concept stage foods and drinks.
Research Analytics
You understand the best ways to gather and hold high-quality data, and you know how to extract and apply relevant insights.
Research & Development
Your attention to detail, scientific experience, and lab equipment knowledge are assets on innovation teams.
InnovationNew flavors start in the food innovation lab
See inside the state-of-the-art global process center in Leicester, U.K., where PepsiCo specialists develop new varieties of our delicious beverages and snacks.
Hey, Elise, what is it like to work for PepsiCo?
Hey, Elise, what is it like to work for PepsiCo?
There’s always some type of unique challenge to work through on each project. Even if it’s a brand you’ve worked on before, we have to change it up to keep our consumers interested. For example, I work on beverages like Mountain Dew, Pure Leaf and, of course, Pepsi. The big wave right now is being healthy and consumers wanting fewer calories. We have to reformulate to make these stable beverages without sugar and with the clean label. Or let’s say the business team has a crazy idea for a new flavor, and you have to go through the steps to make it happen in record time. I think that’s the best part of the job.
We’re the science behind the business; we’re the team that makes things happen. And without R&D, honestly, there wouldn’t be anything on the shelves. That’s why R&D is such a big deal, and we have a big function where each team is responsible for their own piece of the giant puzzle.
For me, a big part of my curriculum at school for engineering was directed more towards entering the oil industry, and I wasn’t interested in that. We were lucky as undergrads and got the chance to visit these refineries and pharma plans, but I still just didn’t know what industry I wanted to enter. But what I did know is I didn’t want to be solving Bernoulli equations all day, and I wanted to step away from that traditional chemical engineering material and do something a bit more fun.
As engineers and scientists at PepsiCo, we travel quite a bit to our domestic and international plants around the world. Personally, I’ve been to Ireland and Canada. I’m still waiting to go to plants in Singapore and the Philippines and Thailand.
Visiting some of our U.S. plants brought me to the West Coast for the first time. That was really an incredible experience being able to take some time once we were done and explore that part of the world.
Sustainability starts with R&D
Better for people, better for the planet
Sustainability & Innovation are closely linked at PepsiCo. Wherever you are in R&D, you can be at the heart of PepsiCo’s work to drive positive action for people and the planet. That work is called PepsiCo Positive.
Careful planning of every product
We consider the environmental impact of every new product developed through our Sustainable from the Start program. This means using sustainably sourced ingredients and adding more products that help you make healthy choices in what you eat and drink.
Creating smiles, not packaging waste
R&D teams are helping change the way society makes, uses, and disposes of plastics by leveraging our reach and influence. How? Through innovations in renewable, compostable, biodegradable or reusable packaging.
Becoming net water positive by 2030
R&D is unlocking new ways to grow ingredients with less water, recycle and treat water in our facilities, and replenish water in high-risk areas around the world.
Smile at life at PepsiCo
Changing forthe better
Four associates share what PepsiCo’s inclusive culture means to them
Our nutrition story
We’re constantly innovating, looking for ways to add whole grains, reduce sugar and make other recipe changes without sacrificing taste.
Healthy living
PepsiCo’s employee well-being programs help associates be well, find balance and get involved.
Featured Research & Development
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