Applied Science Summer Internship

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.

As strategies, technologies and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough use of technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

An innovation and transformation consultancy, we are over 4000 specialists in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport. Our people are strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers and technologists.

We operate globally from offices across the UK, US, Netherlands and Nordics.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

The role

Flexible working - We are guided by our client work and needs; however, you have autonomy to manage your time and diary to suit your work/life balance.

Power Your Curiosity at PA   

As an Applied Scientist at PA, you’ll be able to apply what you have learned to real world challenges – this could be any part of your degree or science you have never seen before. Our scientists are constantly learning about their craft and broadening their knowledge, working alongside colleagues who all have a passion for using what they know, every day. 

What you'll do

A career at PA is what you make of it — so power your curiosity and prepare to make an impact.   

In your internship you might find yourself getting involved in developing a new medical device, new diagnostics, or a new consumer product. And because we think (and work) fast, you could see a product at any stage from concept ideation through to prototype manufacture and even launch.

During your weeks as an intern at PA, you’ll learn some of what it takes to be a top-notch consultant. You’ll be coached and guided by experts and have countless opportunities to broaden your experience on challenging projects and programmes. Whatever you work on, you’ll be part of the team and free to build your networks, both here at PA and far beyond – see what previous interns have achieved here. 

We can’t tell you everything we are doing at the moment – there’s not enough space! Some of the core capabilities the Applied Science team supports are: 

Making Science real 

We help clients understand, contextualise and mature science from a blank sheet of paper to real world products and capabilities. We do this by understanding what the problem is that they are really trying to solve, and how we can use the whole palette of techniques available within science to do this. Our breadth spans the creation of new kinds of radio receiver based on atomic gases, showing quantum computes can help make better decisions, to working with exciting start-ups to accelerate the development of affordable cell and gene therapies, which is set to revolutionise the healthcare industry. 

Enabling sustainability 

The world needs products and processes that are more sustainable and make more efficient use of resources. We develop novel materials as replacements for single use plastics, novel sensors and sensing systems to help us make more intelligent use of resources; we support public sector, start-ups and the world’s largest corporates in understanding and achieving their sustainability ambitions.  

Creating new medical devices and therapies 

We develop new medical devices and the manufacturing processes that help save lives. We supported the UK’s Ventilator challenge – massively scaling the supply base for ventilators during the pandemic – everyone who needed a ventilator got one, and made use of our physics base to create a new way to test autoinjectors – saving time, energy and resources in developing these lifesaving technologies.  

About you

What we’re looking for:   

• You’ll be on track to gain a degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics or equivalent.  
• Are comfortable working both in a hands-on lab setting and performing desk-based research  
• The curiosity to learn about new technologies and new markets 
• Enthusiasm for solving problems 
• A passion for using your knowledge in context– not just applying rote learning 
• The versatility to apply your skills to new technical areas and work as part of a multidisciplinary group 
• The ability to communicate what you know to experts and non-experts alike 
• A pro-active approach to getting stuff done! 

This role is open to undergraduates in their penultimate year of university.  If you intend to return to university after the internship to complete an MSc, you will also be eligible for this position.   

The offer   

• A real chance to use any and all areas of your degree to solve real-world problems  
• A unique role striding a huge breadth of technologies and sectors 
• 1 day volunteering for a charity through our ‘Give as You Earn’ scheme   
• Your work base will be our Global Innovation & Technology Centre, Melbourn, Cambridge 
• Salary: Competitive 
• Full time   
• This role will start in June 2024 – for 8-10 weeks. Exact dates will be confirmed at offer stage.