For the past six months, Dion Methorst has been working with CLS Services. Currently, he is seconded as a Laboratory Automation Engineer at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine in Leiden, a role he has held for the past three years. His expertise is rare: in short, he focuses on developing laboratory processes that need to be automated.
Dion explains: “I’ve been doing this job for 15 years, and solving the puzzle is still the most enjoyable part of my work. I dive into lab processes that are for the most part performed manually and create efficient, optimised solutions to increase throughput and robustness. Repetitive manual tasks are replaced by automated manipulations and should potentially free up people for more creative challenges. Many people don’t fully understand what it is I do. I have a lot of freedom in my role, which means every day looks different. For instance, I liaise with collaboration partners, mentor less experienced colleagues in this field, design assay processes or program liquid handling robots and perform volume verifications. I also take care of the must-do tasks right away so I can free up my time to set up and tackle new projects.”
CLS as an employer
Dion continues: “I originally worked at J&J through another agency and came into contact with CLS because of their strong reputation as a staffing partner. That reputation proved to be true—they matched J&J’s terms and conditions, and I made significant progress in my career. CLS provides job security, which I value. They take good care of their employees and are an excellent employer. I have meaningful discussions with them, where they show their support while remaining realistic. We can talk about anything openly and honestly. Something I am really thankful for!”
What are your ambitions?
Dion explains: “Robots can work 24/7—I don’t want to! I’m able to balance my many hobbies with this part-time role. I’m not looking to climb the corporate ladder; instead, I want to keep learning new things, which is what makes me happy. I enjoy taking on new challenges and hope to continue doing this work for a long time. Doing interesting work that I love and that brings me joy is what matters most to me.”
LinkedIn 9/1/2025
