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My work
“I have been working as an Analog design engineer at SRON, the Dutch centre of expertise for space research, since November 2019. I am constantly working on several projects at once, which means I never spend a whole working week on the same task. It’s an enjoyable and varied job.”
“I design circuit diagrams for printed circuit boards, test whether a new circuit board works and document my working methods. Our work sometimes literally goes into space, which means our printed circuit boards have to meet requirements that those from commercial companies often do not. That makes designing suitable printed circuit boards particularly challenging.” “Being able to help design the circuit diagram for a printed circuit board for one of the first prototypes of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) was a personal highlight.”
My background
“Even as a child, I had a passion for space travel and dreamt of studying astronomy. That turned out not to be feasible, so I turned my attention to the technology behind space travel. Whilst studying electrical engineering at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, I undertook an internship at another NWO space institute: ASTRON. It was through ASTRON that I came across SRON, where I did my final-year placement. I’ve never left since graduating: it’s a real pleasure to work here.”
The organisation
“SRON supports staff wherever possible. Whether it’s with problems or ambitions: personal development is actively encouraged. Through the works council – of which I’m a member – we try to let staff know that they can also come to us if they’re struggling with anything.”
“Because of my neurodiversity, I have a particular need for clarity. That’s why I value a well-organised approach to my work and a clear overview of the deadlines for my tasks. SRON also gives me plenty of scope to contribute to the works council and to the Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group (ERG), which I’ve been coordinating since 2025. The ERGs within NWO-I are of particular interest to me: for example, I’m also a member of PRISM (the ERG for LGBTQIA+ colleagues) and Women+.”
“I work with lovely and very clever colleagues, from whom I can learn a great deal. They’re very approachable and are happy to help me whenever I have questions. Within the engineering department, I work alongside digital engineers, assemblers and mechanical engineers. We form quite a diverse group, within which we spend a lot of time together and work on great project outcomes. We also relax together. In the spacious canteen, there’s one long lunch table where we regularly play a game of cards or some other game. It’s great fun.”