How to Get Into PepsiCo UK After University: Placements, Apprenticeships and Graduate Roles 2027

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PepsiCo is one of the names students search for when they look at consumer goods careers, and its UK business is bigger than many expect: Walkers, Quaker, Doritos and Pepsi MAX are all part of it. The difficulty is that PepsiCo UK does not present its early careers offer the way a bank or a Big Four firm does. There is no single graduate scheme page with an opening date and a deadline. This guide sets out what PepsiCo itself publishes for the UK, what only appears on third-party job boards, and how to get into PepsiCo UK after university in practice. Every fact is labelled Official (PepsiCo’s own pages, read on 15 November 2026), Reported (a third-party site) or Not published.

PepsiCo UK early careers at a glance

Is there a PepsiCo UK graduate scheme for 2027?

We did not find one. On 15 November 2026 the PepsiCo United Kingdom careers page described the business, its sites and its development culture, but it did not describe a graduate programme, list intake dates or link to a UK early careers page. A keyword search for “graduate” in the UK vacancy list returned no results on the same day. PepsiCo’s global Students section talks mainly about internships in US offices.

That does not mean PepsiCo UK never hires graduates. It means there is no published, structured UK scheme to apply to right now, so older articles that describe a multi-year UK graduate programme should be treated with caution unless they link to a live PepsiCo page. If a scheme is advertised later, it will appear in the UK job search, which is the only source we would trust for dates.

Industrial placements 2027: the route PepsiCo does publish

The structured student route that PepsiCo UK publishes is the industrial placement: a paid year in industry taken between the penultimate and final year of a degree. PepsiCo’s advert puts it this way: “From day one, you’ll be working on projects that matter.” That line comes from the job advert, not from a named employee; we found no quote from a named PepsiCo UK placement student on an official page.

The UK job search showed 12 placement roles on 15 November 2026. The first ten were:

Evidence: Official, PepsiCo UK job search, read 15 November 2026. Most roles are in supply chain and sit at manufacturing sites, not in a head office. That matters when you choose: a placement in Leicester, Skelmersdale or Cupar is hands-on factory and operations work. Third-party boards have also listed research and development and engineering reliability placements for 2027 (Reported); we did not see those two in the first page of official results.

Who can apply

The HR placement advert sets out three conditions (Official):

• You are in the penultimate year of a university degree, and your course includes the option of a sandwich placement before you return for the final year.
• You have the full right to work in the UK for the whole placement, July 2027 to July 2028.
• You are studying a relevant subject. For the HR role that is human resource management or a closely related discipline; each advert names its own subjects.

Two practical points follow. First, final-year students and graduates are not eligible for these placements, because the role is built around returning to university afterwards. Second, the advert does not mention visa sponsorship; it asks for the right to work for the full period. If you are an international student, check the wording of the specific advert and your own visa conditions before you apply.

Pay and benefits

The figures above come from the HR Industrial Placement 2027 advert. Supply chain adverts on third-party boards quote the same £26,600 (Reported), but read the advert for your role, because pay can differ by function.

Application process and dates

PepsiCo’s advert describes a three-step process (Official):

The advert adds that the window may close early if there is a large response, and it encourages early applications. On 15 November 2026 the adverts were still visible on the site even though the stated closing date had passed. We could not confirm whether applications were still being accepted, so treat the 2027 round as closing or closed and check the live advert. One more caution: the overview paragraph of the HR advert mentions a start in July 2026, while the eligibility and “what else you need to know” sections both say July 2027 to July 2028. We have used the 2027 dates because they appear twice and match the job title.

For the following cycle, Gradcracker’s PepsiCo hub labels placements and internships as “Opening Autumn 2027” (Reported). That fits the pattern of the 2027 round, where video interviews ran in September and October.

Degree apprenticeships

PepsiCo’s UK page says the company offers “a wide range of apprenticeships” as part of career development (Official), but on 15 November 2026 the UK job search returned no results for “apprentice”. Third-party boards fill part of the gap: Gradcracker’s PepsiCo hub shows degree apprenticeships as “Opening Autumn 2026”, and Higherin has carried a register-your-interest page for a Supply Chain Leadership Degree Apprenticeship 2027 (Reported; we did not open the Higherin page ourselves).

A degree apprenticeship is a job with a degree studied part time, so it suits school leavers and people who have not yet taken a degree. If you already hold a degree in a related subject, check the eligibility rules of the specific apprenticeship before you plan around it.

Already graduated? Three realistic ways in

If you have finished university, the placement route is closed to you, and there is no graduate scheme to wait for. These are the options that exist on PepsiCo’s own site:

1. Apply for direct roles. The UK job search lists vacancies by function: supply chain, sales and marketing, finance, HR, research and development and technology. Entry-level roles are not labelled “graduate”, so search by function and location and read the experience required.
2. Join the talent community. PepsiCo invites candidates to add a profile for recruiters to view. It is not an application, but it is the only official way to register interest without a live vacancy.
3. Build relevant experience first. Because most UK roles are in manufacturing, supply chain and commercial teams, a first job or a graduate scheme at another consumer goods company is a credible stepping stone. Our guides to Procter and Gamble, Unilever, Mars and Diageo cover structured schemes in the same sector.

PepsiCo’s adverts do not say whether placement students are offered graduate roles afterwards, so we have not assumed that they are.

Where you would work: PepsiCo UK sites

PepsiCo says its UK business spans 10 sites with a team of about 4,500 (Official). The ones it names on the UK careers page are:

• Leicester: the Walkers crisp factory, which PepsiCo describes as the largest crisp factory in the world, and the global research and development centre.
• Green Park, near Reading: the main UK office, home to around 500 colleagues.
• Cupar, Fife: the Quaker oats mill.

Placement adverts also name Coventry and Skelmersdale. PepsiCo adds that it has been named a Top Employer for 14 years. Location is the first thing to check on any advert, because the role is on site and the advert we read does not mention relocation support.

How to prepare

The process has two selection stages after the form, and both are remote.

• Video interview. Expect recorded answers to set questions. Prepare two or three examples of teamwork, solving a problem and learning something quickly, and practise answering to camera within a time limit. PepsiCo’s advert lists what it looks for: intellectual curiosity, ambition, creativity and passion for the company and for your own development.
• Virtual assessment centre. PepsiCo does not publish the exercises. Virtual assessment centres commonly combine a group task, a case or presentation and an interview, so practise speaking clearly on video calls and structuring a short recommendation.
• Know the business. Read the UK careers page and be able to explain which site you would work at, what it makes and why that function interests you.
• Apply early. PepsiCo warns that it may close roles before the deadline.

If you are weighing several placement employers, our guide to summer internships in the UK for 2027 and the graduate scheme deadlines calendar show what else is open.

How PepsiCo compares with other consumer goods employers

The main difference is structure. Several consumer goods companies run named UK graduate programmes with published stages, which we cover in separate guides: Procter and Gamble, Unilever, Mars, Diageo and L’Oréal. PepsiCo UK publishes a clear placement year instead, with a stated salary and timetable, and leaves graduate hiring to individual vacancies. If you are in your second year, PepsiCo is a straightforward application. If you are a finalist or a graduate, apply to the structured schemes and keep PepsiCo’s job search on a weekly check. You can browse every employer we cover in the graduate employers directory and the graduate scheme hub.

What we could not verify

• Whether the 2027 placement adverts were still accepting applications after the stated closing date of 30 October 2026.
• The full list of 12 placements: we read the first ten results.
• Any UK graduate starting salary, or whether placement students receive graduate offers.
• Opening dates for degree apprenticeships: the “Opening Autumn 2026” label is from Gradcracker, not from PepsiCo.
• The content of the virtual assessment centre.

PepsiCo UK early careers: FAQ

Does PepsiCo have a graduate scheme in the UK?

We found no UK graduate scheme on PepsiCo’s careers site on 15 November 2026, and the UK job search returned no results for “graduate”. The structured student route PepsiCo publishes is the 12-month industrial placement.

How much does a PepsiCo UK placement pay?

The HR Industrial Placement 2027 advert states a salary of £26,600 for the 12 months, with 25 days of annual leave plus 8 bank holidays.

When do PepsiCo placements open and close?

For 2027 starts, the advert gives a closing date of 30 October 2026, video interviews in September and October 2026 and a virtual assessment centre in November and December 2026. Gradcracker labels the next round as opening in autumn 2027.

Can graduates apply for a PepsiCo placement?

No. The advert asks for students in their penultimate year whose course includes a sandwich placement, returning to study afterwards.

Where are PepsiCo UK placements based?

The adverts we read name Leicester, Coventry, Skelmersdale and Cupar. The main UK office is at Green Park near Reading.

Does PepsiCo sponsor visas for placements?

The advert does not mention sponsorship. It asks for the full right to work for the duration of the placement, July 2027 to July 2028.

Does PepsiCo offer degree apprenticeships?

PepsiCo’s UK page mentions a wide range of apprenticeships, but its job search showed none on 15 November 2026. Gradcracker’s hub lists degree apprenticeships as opening in autumn 2026.

How do I get a job at PepsiCo after university?

Apply for direct roles through the UK job search by function, join the talent community so recruiters can see your profile, and consider a structured graduate scheme at another consumer goods employer as a first step.

Sources

• PepsiCo careers: United Kingdom (Official, read 15 November 2026)
• PepsiCo UK job search, including the HR Industrial Placement 2027 advert, requisition 479359 (Official, read 15 November 2026)
• Gradcracker: PepsiCo hub (Reported, read 15 November 2026)
• Higherin listing for a Supply Chain Leadership Degree Apprenticeship 2027 (Reported, seen in search results only)