By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Graduate programmes · Burgess Hill and Welwyn Garden City · Two years
2027 intake closed · no next date on 19 October 2026Next ads live · check each close date2027 intake closed · next window datedNext window closed tooMissed it? Your options
Short answer: Roche’s UK graduate window for the 2027 intake has closed. Roche gives no date for the next window, as of 19 October 2026. It points you to its Early Career Talent Pool and Job Alerts. So sign up and get ready now.Roche’s next UK graduate ads are live. Check each ad’s close date and apply in good time. Tweak your CV and cover letter for each ad you pick.Roche’s UK graduate window for the 2027 intake has closed. Roche has now given a date for the next window. Check its careers site, join its Talent Pool and get ready now.Roche’s next UK graduate window has closed too. Join its Early Career Talent Pool and Job Alerts to hear about the one after. Then get ready. Each programme has its own ad. You send a CV and cover letter. Then come a video interview, a behavioural activity and an assessment centre.
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with Roche.
Roche hires UK graduates into named two-year programmes, one ad per role. The lead route is the Roche Diagnostics UK Early in Career Development Programme (ECDP), mostly in Burgess Hill. The second is the One PDR Early Talent Program, a regulatory route in Welwyn Garden City.
This playbook covers both, stage by stage, from Roche’s own pages and ads. For nearly 10 years, we’ve helped more than 5,000 professionals get hired. Want to know if your CV will pass screening in the UK? Check your CV for free: a score in 30 seconds, then a fix for each problem.
01/11
Your route to an offer
Where things stand
Roche’s UK graduate window for the 2027 intake has closed.Roche’s next UK graduate ads are live.Roche’s next UK graduate window has closed too.
Roche gives no date for the next window, as of 19 October 2026.Check each ad’s close date, then apply in good time.Roche has now given a date for the next window.Watch Roche’s careers site for the window after.
Your move: join Roche’s Early Career Talent Pool, set a Job Alert and get ready now.pick your programmes and apply on each ad.
Roche’s UK how-to-apply page (undated, read 19 October 2026): “If you don’t find the opportunity you are looking for, or you want to know more about what we do at Roche, you can sign up to our Early Career Talent Pool. This will allow you to also sign up for Job Alerts, so you can be kept up to date with future opportunities.”
Last cycle’s dates, and our reading
- ECDP, 2027 intake. Eight ECDP ads closed on 16 October 2026. The ninth closed on 18 October 2026. We read all nine on Roche’s own job board on 15 October 2026. Their opening date is not known.
- Welwyn PDR, 2027 intake. The ad closed on 8 October 2026.
- Welwyn PDR, 2026 intake. The ad ran from 8 October to 21 October 2025, per a Wayback copy of Roche’s ad.
- Our reading. Roche’s UK graduate ads have closed in October. So be ready by early autumn.
Pick your stage and tick each step when done. Stages are from Roche’s UK how-to-apply page. Prep times are ours.
1. Get ready: alerts, CV, stories
Sign up for Roche’s alerts, then build your CV and stories. Start now; give it 1 to 2 weeks.
2. Apply: CV and cover letter
One ad per programme, with a CV and cover letter. Prep 2 to 3 days per ad.
3. Video and activity: Roche’s step 2
A video interview and a “Behavioural Activity”, sent after screening. Prep about 1 week.
4. Assessment centre: Roche’s step 3
Group exercises, presentations and role play. Prep 1 to 2 weeks.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/11Alerts, CV and stories
Get ready now
Six things to prepare for Roche’s next ads. Each comes from Roche’s own pages or last cycle’s ads.
Roche’s alerts
Join the Talent Community and set a Job Alert. Both are free.
Your programmes
Last cycle had nine ECDP streams and one PDR route. See the list below.
Your fit
Roche’s graduate roles are for those who “recently graduated (0-2 years)”.
A one-page CV
“one to two pages maximum! We challenge you to do this on ONE page.”
Your stories
One for each competency Roche names, plus a failure you learned from.
Your video answers
Roche publishes its four prompts. Draft a short answer to each.
How Roche’s Talent Pool and Job Alerts work
- Talent Pool. “Apply to our Talent Pool, and we will consider you for the appropriate upcoming roles.” Roche asks “that you submit a CV, cover letter & take part in a video interview.”
- Talent Community. Roche’s sign-up form asks for a short form and your CV. It offers “Weekly tailored job alerts”.
- Job Alerts. Set filters on Roche’s job search, then “Create Job Alert”. Pick “daily, weekly, or monthly” and confirm by email (Roche’s guide).
For a stronger base CV, see how to write a strong CV.
03/11
The programmes at a glance
Two years, a September start and a mentor. Where Roche is silent, we say so.
ClosedLive
The 2027-intake windowRoche’s next UK graduate adsThe next window, too
2 years
ECDP and PDR
September
Start month, both routes
0-2 years
Since your degree
Not published
Salary; bonus eligibility
25 days
Leave, plus bank holidays
The nine ECDP streams, and Roche’s other graduate tracks
- ECDP, from Roche’s 2027 ECDP ads, read 15 October 2026. Procurement; Commercial Bids & Proposals; Medical Affairs; Access and Innovation; Sales & Account Management; Market & Customer Experience; Marketing; Transformation & Operational Excellence; Associate Customer Account Manager.
- Where. Seven in Burgess Hill. Sales & Account Management and Associate Customer Account Manager were field-based, “United Kingdom”.
- Other tracks. Roche’s UK graduates page also names Regulatory Affairs, Medical Information, Roche Start IT, PD Clinical Science, PHC Data Science and Data Science. None had a live UK ad on 19 October 2026.
Where these facts come from
- Length and start. The ECDP Procurement ad gave “2 years (September 2027 – August 2029)”. The 2026 PDR ad gave a “2-year work term”, starting “early September 2026”.
- Who. Roche’s UK graduates page: “recently graduated (0-2 years) from their degrees (Undergraduate, Masters, PhD)”.
- Pay. Roche’s UK early careers hub: “All of our Early Career opportunities are paid! – Competitive salary, eligibility for bonus and benefits”. No figure is published. Compare salaries in the UK.
- Leave. Roche’s UK careers page, for all UK staff: “25 Days Leave plus Bank Holidays”.
- Support. The hub lists a mentor scheme, a buddy scheme and an “International early in career programme community”.
- PDR rotations. Roche’s OnePDR page describes an “18-month learning journey” and “a 6-month flexible rotation”. ECDP rotations were not captured.
04/11
What Roche looks for
Roche names four competencies for its early careers people. Its programmes are for those “with little to no work experience”.
Reflection
Show it by: what you learned from a result, good or bad.
Networking
Show it by: a contact you made that moved a project on.
Growth Mindset
Show it by: a skill you built from a low start.
Agility
Show it by: a plan you changed fast when things shifted.
The ad’s behaviours
Show it by: one example for each behaviour and skill in the ad.
Owning your failures
Show it by: what you would do differently next time.
The four competencies are from Roche’s UK early careers hub: “Reflection, Networking, Growth Mindset, and Agility”. The “Show it by” lines are ours. Roche’s how-to-apply page asks you to reflect on “the key behaviours, mindsets and skills listed in the job advert!”
Degree rules in the 2026 PDR ad
- Subject. “(B.Sc., M.Sc., or Doctorate) in a life sciences, biological sciences, biology, chemistry, Pharmacy, or related field”.
- Timing. “within two years of completion”.
- Experience. “no more than 1-year of relevant past pharmaceutical experience post last degree”.
- ECDP. The 2027 ECDP ads’ entry rules were not captured. Check each new ad.
05/11Roche step 1 · Apply
How to apply
Each programme has its own ad, with a CV and cover letter. There is no single graduate form.
1
Find your ad
On Roche’s careers site
2
Tweak your CV
To that ad’s behaviours
3
Write the letter
Context and motivation
4
Answer the ad
“the questions that we request”
Roche’s CV and cover letter rules
- Fit the job. “Tweak your CV and Cover Letter to fit the job that you’re applying for”.
- Short. “Make your CV concise – one to two pages maximum!”
- Structure. “Rely on the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your experiences”.
- The letter. “Use your cover letter to bring context to your skills and experience and explain your motivation for the role”.
- Leave out. “Don’t provide personal information that is not relevant to the application”, such as religion, gender, age or “a profile picture”.
From Roche’s UK how-to-apply page (undated, read 19 October 2026).
Closing dates: how Roche’s ads worded them
- Early close. Every 2027 ECDP ad said “The application process may be extended beyond this date but could close at any point after this time.”
- Closing time. Roche’s job pages say “the job will close at 11:59pm on the previous day, using the time zone of the location of the job.”
The 2026 PDR cover letter questions
The 2026-intake PDR ad set two questions for the cover letter. It said “Your cover letter should not exceed one page.”
Question 1Motivation
“What is your motivation to join the One PDR Early Talent Program at Roche?”
Question 2What you bring
“What technical and personal competencies would you bring along to the One PDR Early Talent Program?”
The 2027 ECDP ads’ questions were not captured. Check each new ad.
Your CV: do and don’t
Do
“Built a stock tracker for my placement team that cut weekly checks from 3 hours to 1”
Tie each line to a behaviour in the ad, with a result.
Don’t
A photo, your age and your religion at the top
Roche asks you to leave out personal details that are not relevant.
Roche reads your CV and cover letter before anything else. Our CV achievement examples show how to give each role a result. Getting ready to apply for jobs in the UK? Check your CV for free: see it the way a recruiter does, then fix each problem.
Save Roche and over 2,000 other UK schemes to one free calendar. See what closes next and what you have applied to.
Track my schemes freeFree account, no card.
Missed the 2027 window? Your options
- The next window. Roche gives no date for it, as of 19 October 2026. Join the Talent Pool and set a Job Alert.Roche’s next UK graduate ads are live. Check each ad’s close date.Roche has now given a date for it. Check its careers site.It has closed too. Join the Talent Pool and set a Job Alert.
- Welwyn PDR. Roche’s OnePDR page says “There are two cohorts for this program annually.” It adds that ads “will be posted directly on our careers website”.
- Data Science placement. A 13-month Welwyn placement from July 2027 closes on 1 November 2026.This year’s ad for a 13-month Welwyn placement has closed. Watch for next year’s.
- Welwyn placements. Two Welwyn student placements close on 30 October 2026.This year’s ads for two Welwyn student placements have closed. Watch for next year’s.
- PhD summer internship. A Welwyn Biostatistics PhD Summer Internship 2027 closes on 13 November 2026.This year’s Welwyn Biostatistics PhD Summer Internship ad has closed.
- OUR summer internship. Roche’s internship page says “Applications will open in March”. It is for bachelor’s and master’s students in Switzerland, Germany or the UK.
Placement dates are from Roche’s ads, read 19 October 2026. Find them on Roche’s UK careers page.
06/11Roche step 2 · Online
The video interview and behavioural activity
Roche’s step 2 is a “Video interview & Behavioural Activity”. Both “will be sent out after CV & Cover Letter screening is complete”.
2 parts
A video interview and an activity
Not named
No test provider on Roche’s pages
Not described
What the activity involves
From Roche’s UK how-to-apply page (undated, read 19 October 2026). The 2025 PDR ad’s phases match: an application, then a video stage, then a final assessment centre. Roche does not publish the activity’s length, format or provider.
Your moves
- Draft a short answer to each of Roche’s four video prompts.
- Rehearse out loud and stop when you have made your point.
- Do the activity alone, in a quiet place, and answer as yourself.
The video interview, in Roche’s words
You need not fill the time
“We will give you the maximum time to answer the question, don’t feel like you have to ramble on for 3 mins.”
Be yourself
“We only want to know more about you, don’t overthink it, and be concise.”
Four prompts to prepare
Your passion, why Roche, what you will bring and want, and how the role develops you. Practise them in chapter 7.
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 19 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From the employer
- How to applyRoche careers · undated · no account neededRoche’s own three steps and its tips for the CV, cover letter and video interview.Free
- Join the Talent CommunityRoche careers · short form and CVRoche’s own way to hear when the next graduate ads go up. It sends weekly job alerts.Free
- How to create job alertsRoche careers · email neededA step-by-step guide to a daily or weekly alert, so you see new ads early.Free
Read
- Video interview tipsProspects · no account neededRoche’s step 2 includes a video interview. This guide covers set-up and recorded formats.Free
- Cover lettersProspects · no account neededRoche screens your CV and cover letter first. It asks you to answer the ad’s questions.Free
Skip paid “Roche test” packs. Roche names no test provider, so these packs are guessing at the format.
Next: see how other employers use reasoning and behaviour tests in our guide to psychometric and logic tests.
07/11Prepare · Interviews
Interview questions and Roche’s STAR method
You answer questions twice: in the video interview, then at the assessment centre. Roche publishes its video prompts and how it wants you to answer.
At the assessment centre, Roche says “Us[e] the STAR method of answering questions”. It adds: “focus on what you specifically have done, rather than reflecting on what the group that you were a part of has done!” The 2025 PDR ad put “a face to face interview” in its final stage.
How to answer: STAR, about you
Situation
Where you were, in one line.
Task
What you had to do.
Action
What you did, not the group.
Result
What changed, and what you learned.
Follow-ups to rehearse
What did you do yourself?What went wrong?What did you learn?What would you change?
Roche says “Don’t be afraid to talk about failures”, as long as you reflect on “what you would do differently”. See also our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.
Practise: Roche’s prompts and competencies
Video interview prompts
Roche’s own four prompts, from its UK how-to-apply page. The “What they’re testing” lines quote Roche’s tips. The strong answers are our structure.
Passion
“What is it you are passionate about”
What they’re testing: “where your passion lies and how this relates to the role”.
Show a strong answer
- Name one real interest, not a list.
- Give one moment that shows it.
- Link it to one task in the ad.
Why Roche
“Why Roche”
What they’re testing: “what it is about working for Roche that excites you”.
Show a strong answer
- Pick one fact about Roche’s work in your programme’s area.
- Say why it matters to you.
- Add one thing from the programme itself, such as the mentor scheme.
Bring and want
“What will you bring and what do you want out of the opportunity”
What they’re testing: “why have you applied for this role over any other role out there?”
Show a strong answer
- Two strengths, each with a short example.
- One thing you want to learn in this role.
- Why this role, not a similar one.
Growth
“How do you see this opportunity developing you”
What they’re testing: “the ways in which you’d want to develop within the role”.
Show a strong answer
- Name one skill you lack today.
- Say how the two years could build it.
- Say where it could take you next.
Competency questions
Our own questions, built on the four competencies on Roche’s UK hub and its tip on failures. Roche has not published these questions.
Reflection
Tell us about feedback that changed how you work.
What they’re testing: Reflection, one of Roche’s four competencies.
Show a strong answer
- The feedback, in one line.
- What you changed, step by step.
- The result, and what you still do now.
Networking
Describe a time you got help from someone outside your team.
What they’re testing: Networking, one of Roche’s four competencies.
Show a strong answer
- Why you needed them.
- How you reached out.
- What it unlocked, for you and for them.
Growth Mindset
Tell us about a skill you built from scratch.
What they’re testing: Growth Mindset, one of Roche’s four competencies.
Show a strong answer
- Where you started, honestly.
- How you practised.
- Where you are now, with a measure.
Agility
Describe a time your plan changed at short notice.
What they’re testing: Agility, one of Roche’s four competencies.
Show a strong answer
- What changed, and how fast.
- Your new plan, and why you chose it.
- The outcome.
Failure
Tell us about something that went wrong.
What they’re testing: Roche sees “failures and shortcomings as opportunities to learn!”
Show a strong answer
- A real failure, owned in the first line.
- What you learned.
- What you would do differently, as Roche asks.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two STAR stories for each theme. Say what you did, not the group.
| Theme | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | ||
| Networking | ||
| Growth Mindset | ||
| Agility | ||
| A failure you learned from | ||
| Why Roche, why this role |
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 19 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From the employer
- Assessment centre tipsRoche careers · open “Assessment center” · no account neededRoche’s own do and don’t list for the assessment centre, its interviews and group tasks.Free
Read
- Assessment centresProspects · no account neededRoche’s final step has group exercises, presentations and role play. This guide covers each.Free
- Competency-based interviewsProspects · no account neededRoche wants examples of what you did yourself, not your group.Free
- The STAR methodNational Careers Service · no account neededRoche names the STAR method twice on its how-to-apply page.Free
Watch
- Gradcracker and Roche webinarGradcracker on YouTube · Sep 2022 · 63 minRoche speakers walk through the video interview and assessment centre. Recorded in 2022, so check details against Roche’s current page.Free
08/11Roche step 3 · Final
The assessment centre and your offer
Roche’s last step is an assessment centre. Roche says it “includes group excercises, presentations, and role playing”.
Group activities
“Focus on completing the task at hand, use your strengths to do this with your team.”
Listen and ask
“Actively Listen”. And “If you feel you need further guidance or would like to have additional information say it!”
In 2025, for PDR: in person at Welwyn
“Final Assessment Center at Roche UK head office (Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire)”, with “a face to face interview”.
Feedback afterwards
Roche says it calls you back with feedback. Reflect first, so “you’ll be ready to ask questions”.
What to wear
“please wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and confident”.
From Roche’s UK how-to-apply page (undated, read 19 October 2026), and the 2026-intake PDR ad. The ECDP assessment centre’s place and date were not captured. Roche does not publish the day’s length.
Timing and offer terms in the PDR ads
- 2026 intake. The assessment centre’s “Expected date” was “December 2025”. The programme started “early September 2026”.
- 2027 intake. The ad expected the assessment centre in December 2026, with a start in early September 2027.
- Relocation. The 2026 PDR ad said “For this position relocation is not supported by the employer.”
- Pay. No figure is published. Roche says “Competitive salary, eligibility for bonus and benefits”.
09/11
Visa sponsorship
Our reading: expect no visa sponsorship. If you need it, ask Roche before you apply.
Five of six live UK early-careers ads, read 19 October 2026, say “visa sponsorship is not available for this role”. The 2027 PDR ad said the same. The 2027 ECDP ads’ visa line was not captured.
The Graduate visa and right to work
- Graduate visa. It lasts “2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026” and “18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027” (GOV.UK). The programmes run two years.
- Right to work. The live ads add: “Candidates must already hold valid authorisation to work in the UK.”
Need sponsorship? See our guides to UK companies that sponsor visas and staying in the UK after studying. This is general information, so check GOV.UK.
10/11
Key takeaways
Your Roche checklist
- Roche’s UK graduate window for the 2027 intake has closed.Roche’s next UK graduate ads are live, so check each ad’s close date.Roche’s next UK graduate window has closed too.
- Join Roche’s Talent Community and set a Job Alert, as Roche advises.
- Roche’s UK graduate ads have closed in October, so be ready by early autumn.
- Tweak your CV and cover letter to each ad, and aim for a one-page CV.
- Prepare Roche’s four video prompts and keep your answers concise.
- Use STAR, say what you did yourself, and be ready to discuss a failure.
- The assessment centre has group exercises, presentations and role play.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save Roche once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
11/11
Frequently asked questions
Is the Roche graduate programme open?
No. Roche’s UK graduate window for the 2027 intake has closed. Roche gives no date for the next window, as of 19 October 2026. It points you to its Early Career Talent Pool and Job Alerts.Yes. Roche’s next UK graduate ads are live. Check each ad’s close date and apply in good time.Not yet. The 2027-intake window has closed. Roche has now given a date for the next one, so check its careers site.No. Roche’s next UK graduate window has closed too. Join its Early Career Talent Pool and Job Alerts to hear about the one after.
When did Roche’s graduate applications close last time?
Eight ECDP ads for the 2027 intake closed on 16 October 2026. The ninth closed on 18 October 2026. The Welwyn PDR ad closed on 8 October 2026. A year earlier, the PDR ad ran from 8 October to 21 October 2025.
What are the stages of the Roche graduate application?
Roche lists three steps. First, your CV and cover letter. Second, a video interview and a behavioural activity. Third, an assessment centre with group exercises, presentations and role play.
Is there an online test in the Roche application?
Roche lists a Behavioural Activity alongside the video interview. It does not say what the activity is, and it names no test provider. So skip paid packs that claim to copy it.
How much does the Roche graduate programme pay?
Roche does not publish a figure. It says all its early career roles are paid, with a competitive salary, eligibility for bonus and benefits.
Where is the Roche graduate programme based?
Roche says its UK early career roles are split between Burgess Hill and Welwyn Garden City. In the 2027 ECDP ads, two sales roles were field-based.
Does Roche sponsor visas for graduates?
Our reading: expect no sponsorship. Five of six UK early-careers ads we read, and the 2027 PDR ad, say visa sponsorship is not available. If you need it, ask Roche before you apply.
