Applied Scientist - Summer Internship (Physics, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering)

Company description

About us

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 technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport. 

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

Job description

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. 

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. 

Our People Make a Difference   

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.  

There are so many more stories we’d love to share with you, but you’ll have to come talk to us to find out more! 

Qualifications

• You’ll be on track to gain a degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics or equivalent.

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.   

What we’re looking for:   

• 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! 

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 
• Your work base will be our Global Innovation & Technology Centre, Melbourn, Cambridge 
• Salary: £23,500 
• This role will start in June 2025– for 8-10 weeks. Exact dates will be confirmed at offer stage. 

Additional information

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work.

We believe diversity fuels ingenuity. Diversity of thought brings exciting perspectives; diversity of experience brings a wealth of knowledge, and diversity of skills brings the tools we need. When we bring people together with diverse backgrounds, identities, and minds, embracing that difference through an inclusive culture where our people thrive; we unleash the power of diversity – bringing ingenuity to life.

Find out more about Life at PA here.

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits:

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare for you and your family
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Generous company pension scheme
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives
• Annual performance-based bonus
• PA share ownership
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)

We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief veteran status, or other by any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We are on a journey towards ensuring our workforce is diverse at all levels and that our firm is representative of the world around us. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups.

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us on earlycareers@paconsulting.com