Research & Development Laboratory Industrial Placement Student

• Location: Cambridge
• Start date: 1 July 2026
• Duration: 14 months 
• Work Model: Hybrid – minimum 3 days per week on-site, with the expectation that up to 5 days per week on-site may be required depending on business and project needs.

About the job

The Infectious Diseases & Vaccines (IDV) group is an R&D team heavily funded by the Gates Foundation to support global health projects in collaboration with leading academic groups across the globe to deliver programmes centred on malaria. IDV additionally delivers projects in a range of cross-functional collaborations across the Sanofi organisation, addressing questions on antigen design and antibody discovery for a range of diseases.

As a Laboratory Industrial Placement Student, you will join a collaborative research team working antigen design and antibody discovery for a range of diseases. Largely supporting our internal Sanofi programmes, this role provides a unique opportunity for an industrial placement student to be at the forefront of our pipeline development and delivery activities. The placement will involve delivery and refinement of laboratory techniques to drive our end-to-end vaccine candidate evaluation and antibody discovery pipeline, working on projects spanning multiple disease areas. You will gain hands-on laboratory experience and work across a range of research projects exploring how novel vaccines and therapeutic antibodies can help prevent and treat infectious diseases. This will give you exposure to different stages of the research process in a real laboratory R&D environment.

During your placement, you will develop practical laboratory skills using techniques such as flow cytometry, ELISAs, cell-based assays, and single-cell sorting, while also gaining insight into how a biopharmaceutical research site operates day to day.

This is a unique opportunity to build your scientific experience, strengthen your technical skills, and contribute to research that supports the development of future vaccines and therapies with global impact.

About Sanofi

We’re an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system – and innovative pipeline – enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.

Main responsibilities:

In this role, you will support laboratory research across vaccine development and antibody discovery projects, contributing to studies that advance understanding of infectious diseases. You will:

• Support experimental work across vaccine and antibody discovery programmes, including sample processing and laboratory workflows
• Apply and develop key laboratory techniques such as flow cytometry, ELISAs, cell-based assays, and single-cell sorting
• Contribute to the generation and analysis of experimental data across multiple research projects
• Maintain accurate and well-organised records of experiments and results
• Share findings with the team through discussions and presentations
• Collaborate with scientists across different projects and research areas
• Support the smooth day-to-day operation of the laboratory environment

What you’ll gain

• Hands-on experience in a real research laboratory environment
• Practical exposure to key techniques used in vaccine and antibody research
• Insight into how early-stage research contributes to the development of new medicines and vaccines
• Experience working in a collaborative, global scientific environment
• Confidence presenting and discussing scientific findings
• Skills and experience to support your future career in science or healthcare

About you 

This role could be a great fit if you:

• Are currently in your 2nd or 3rd year of an undergraduate degree (Life Sciences or a related field)
• Have a basic understanding of biological sciences and an interest in laboratory research
• Communicate clearly and confidently, both in writing and verbally
• Are well-organised and pay attention to detail
• Can manage multiple tasks in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Enjoy working collaboratively and learning from others
• Have a good level of English (written and spoken)

Would Be an Advantage, But Not Essential

• Foundational knowledge of life sciences, research and/or immunology
• Interest in learning how to document experimental work and results in an industry setting
• Motivation to develop scientific writing and laboratory communication skills

Why choose us?

• Stretch your skills through apprenticeships, internships, graduate programs, and international experiences that grow with you.
• Learn from inspiring mentors and collaborative teams while contributing to real projects that shape the future of healthcare.
• Build your future with access to the latest tools, digital innovation, and continuous learning that keep you ahead of the curve.
• Explore more with personalized development plans, short-term gigs, and internal mobility across functions and countries.
• Grow in a purpose-driven company where your voice matters and your work helps improve millions of lives.
• Thrive in inclusive, flexible workplaces that support your personal and professional well-being.
• Launch your career with a company that invests in you — and empowers you to reimagine what’s possible.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date should we receive a sufficient number of applications.

#LI-EUR  #LI-Hybrid

Pursue progress, discover extraordinary

Better is out there. Better medications, better outcomes, better science. But progress doesn’t happen without people – people from different backgrounds, in different locations, doing different roles, all united by one thing: a desire to make miracles happen. So, let’s be those people.

At Sanofi, we provide equal opportunities to all regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, ability or gender identity.

Watch our ALL IN video and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion actions at sanofi.com!