R&D Microbiologist Industrial Placement 2026, UK

Join our Haleon Microbiology team based in Weybridge for a 12-month industrial placement, starting in July 2026.   

At A Glance

The microbiology placement in our R&D facility in Weybridge which is primarily dedicated to developing oral health products (e.g. toothpaste, mouthwash, denture products) will give you hands-on practical application of the theoretical knowledge you have gained at university. 

As a member of the R&D Microbiology team, you will use this knowledge to develop and manage R&D innovation projects, as well as building microbiology innovation capabilities aligned to the needs of the business and our consumers.

Successful findings from your project could be used to help shape the future design of consumer health care products on the market!  You will have the opportunity to work directly with and learn from an experienced team who will support you to reach your full potential. 

R&D Microbiology Industrial Placement: Key Responsibilities: 

• Lead microbiology research projects, by first seeking to understand key objectives, success criteria and timings for deliverables, structuring your work accordingly.  
• Take accountability for project leadership, providing early communication if there is a risk of not meeting a deliverable. 
• Design scientifically robust experiments and conduct laboratory work to good scientific practices. 
• Maintain laboratory notebooks and documentation relevant to your assigned duties and responsibilities. 
• Develop and maintain your scientific expertise through immersion in the scientific literature to bring new ideas and potential technical solutions.  
• Prioritise work in accordance with the needs of the business. 
• Collaborate for impact by adopting a strong teamwork ethos, showing a willingness to contribute to other projects (both Innovation and New Product Development) and disseminate projects learnings. 
• Write technical papers/presentations/reports to enhance personal, departmental, and corporate reputation.  
• Look for innovative improvements and better ways of working whilst striving to eliminate non-value-added steps out of processes and procedures. 
• Ensure all work is conducted to appropriate EHS and Quality requirements as appropriate. 

Education Requirements:

You will currently be studying towards your Undergraduate Degree in: microbiology, biomedical or life sciences 

If you are studying for your Undergraduate Degree you must be in your 2nd year of study (England) or 3rd year of study (Scotland) and seeking to complete a year in industry in partnership with your university. Please ensure the role is suitable for your placement year.  

Role Start Date: July 2026 

Benefits:

• Salary of £27,008.00 per year  
• Health & wellbeing programmes to support your physical and mental health 
• You will join IP Unite, Haleon’s community for students run by students to support charity events, sports clubs, STEM outreach and many more exciting projects 

Application Process:

The application process has a total of up to 4 stages:

• Application – information will be required regarding your education and Right to Work.
• Online Assessment – you will be asked to complete a behaviour based online assessment/interview.
• One-Way Video Interview – if selected you receive a link to complete an online interview focusing on your motivation for joining Haleon and what transferrable skills you will bring to the role. This will be screened by the Early Talent Team.
• Interview – if selected you will be invited to attend a virtual interview; The interview will consist of a competency-based interview and may include a case study/technical exercise.
• Offer – candidates will receive an outcome within 2 weeks following interview.

 

Interviews will be held in November/December 2025 

We advise you to apply as soon as possible as we may close the role due to the volume of applications. 

If you require any support or adjustments with your application, please email: earlytalentrecruitment@haleon.com 

 
Please save a copy of the job description, as this may be helpful to refer to once the advert closes 

Care to join us. Find out what life at Haleon is really like www.haleon.com/careers/

At Haleon we embrace our diverse workforce by creating an inclusive environment that celebrates our unique perspectives, generates curiosity to create unmatched understanding of each other, and promotes fair and equitable outcomes for everyone. We're striving to create a climate where we celebrate our diversity in all forms by treating each other with respect, listening to different viewpoints, supporting our communities, and creating a workplace where your authentic self belongs and thrives. We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

As you apply, we will ask you to share some personal information, which is entirely voluntary. We want to have an opportunity to consider a diverse pool of qualified candidates and this information will assist us in meeting that objective and in understanding how well we are doing against our inclusion and diversity ambitions. We would really appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete it. Rest assured, Hiring Managers do not have access to this information and we will treat your information confidentially.

Haleon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and, in the US, we adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Accommodation Requests

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• Use subject line: ‘Haleon Careers: Job Accommodation Request’
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