People at Merus really care about what they do
Linda
Laboratory Manager
When Linda van der Horst joined Merus in 2016, she was our 45th colleague. By now, there are more than five times as many employees. ‘Even though we’ve grown rapidly, the mentality has remained the same,’ she says. ‘The people here really care about what they do.’
‘Implementing new tools and practices is something I find interesting,’ says Linda. ‘If you spot an opportunity, you can point it out and make it happen. For example, last year we set up a new tool for the maintenance of all our lab equipment. You can be proactive, that’s a typical trait of Merus employees.’
Linda is focused on self-development and expanding her responsibilities. ‘The idea is that I will take over tasks from my supervisor. Also, my team will probably expand. The labs have gotten bigger, there is more equipment, and there are more regulations we must comply with.’
Moving quickly
The biggest milestone in Linda’s work was the move to our new building at the end of 2022. ‘The lab heads and I oversaw the whole project from start to finish. We considered every detail – every socket, every cabinet.’
‘The move itself had to be done quickly. You obviously don’t want to close the lab for too long. A lot of equipment had to be moved by the suppliers themselves. They had to come from far and wide and all in the same short period of time. I was delighted all of that worked out well.’
International atmosphere
Linda enjoys the international atmosphere at Merus. ‘Because we have colleagues from different countries in almost every department, the monthly drinks here in Utrecht often have an international theme. Sometimes in the French style, sometimes Italian, with snacks and drinks provided by the respective colleagues. That’s great fun. You also get to know each other better. Our work will be better for it.’
Important mission
‘There were several reasons for me to join Merus,’ Linda says. ‘One of them was the goal of closing in on cancer. It feels like everyone has a loved one who gets cancer. I could tell that the people here really care about their work. We were a small company then: I was the 45th employee. But even though we’ve grown rapidly, the mentality has remained the same.’
‘Before I came here, I worked in a lab at TNO Pharma for twelve years. I wanted to make the switch from my job as a lab technician to a role that was more facility-based. Merus offered me this possibility. In 2016, I came here as a facility assistant. I am now a lab manager with two facility assistants on my team. Our responsibility is to make sure all the equipment is maintained properly, that everything working smoothly and safely, and that we have all the supplies we need.’
Proactive
Managing the laboratories is by no means predictable work. ‘Sometimes I may think everything is on track – and then something will change. The growth of Merus goes hand in hand with new demands for our laboratories. This means I also need to keep developing my knowledge, by regularly learning new skills. For instance, I set up our chemicals management process.’
“Step by step, we are closing in on cancer.”
Interested in joining us on our mission?
Have a look at our vacancies.
When Linda van der Horst joined Merus in 2016, she was our 45th colleague. By now, there are more than five times as many employees. ‘Even though we’ve grown rapidly, the mentality has remained the same,’ she says. ‘The people here really care about what they do.’
Important mission
‘There were several reasons for me to join Merus,’ Linda says. ‘One of them was the goal of closing in on cancer. It feels like everyone has a loved one who gets cancer. I could tell that the people here really care about their work. We were a small company then: I was the 45th employee. But even though we’ve grown rapidly, the mentality has remained the same.’
‘Before I came here, I worked in a lab at TNO Pharma for twelve years. I wanted to make the switch from my job as a lab technician to a role that was more facility-based. Merus offered me this possibility. In 2016, I came here as a facility assistant. I am now a lab manager with two facility assistants on my team. Our responsibility is to make sure all the equipment is maintained properly, that everything working smoothly and safely, and that we have all the supplies we need.’
Proactive
Managing the laboratories is by no means predictable work. ‘Sometimes I may think everything is on track – and then something will change. The growth of Merus goes hand in hand with new demands for our laboratories. This means I also need to keep developing my knowledge, by regularly learning new skills. For instance, I set up our chemicals management process.’
“Step by step, we are closing in on cancer.”
Interested in joining us on our mission?
Have a look at our vacancies.
‘Implementing new tools and practices is something I find interesting,’ says Linda. ‘If you spot an opportunity, you can point it out and make it happen. For example, last year we set up a new tool for the maintenance of all our lab equipment. You can be proactive, that’s a typical trait of Merus employees.’
Linda is focused on self-development and expanding her responsibilities. ‘The idea is that I will take over tasks from my supervisor. Also, my team will probably expand. The labs have gotten bigger, there is more equipment, and there are more regulations we must comply with.’
Moving quickly
The biggest milestone in Linda’s work was the move to our new building at the end of 2022. ‘The lab heads and I oversaw the whole project from start to finish. We considered every detail – every socket, every cabinet.’
‘The move itself had to be done quickly. You obviously don’t want to close the lab for too long. A lot of equipment had to be moved by the suppliers themselves. They had to come from far and wide and all in the same short period of time. I was delighted all of that worked out well.’
International atmosphere
Linda enjoys the international atmosphere at Merus. ‘Because we have colleagues from different countries in almost every department, the monthly drinks here in Utrecht often have an international theme. Sometimes in the French style, sometimes Italian, with snacks and drinks provided by the respective colleagues. That’s great fun. You also get to know each other better. Our work will be better for it.’