‘I work with go-getters who know what needs to be done’
Her office is a bit tucked away in a corner of the building, but her department is always buzzing with activity. Since May 2024, Renate Rijbroek has been our new Head of Facility Management. There was no slow start: ‘We are working hard towards the official opening in September.’
‘I keep thinking I know everyone by now, but then there always seem to be even more people,’ says Renate Rijbroek in her office. She has been in her new role for almost two months now. ‘Everything already feels very familiar, but I’m still figuring out how we do things here.’
From provincial house to university
Rijbroek previously worked as Head of Housing and Real Estate at the Province of South Holland, where she was responsible for the provincial house and the control centres of bridges and locks. But after five years, it was time for something new. Rijbroek: ‘I was cycling through the Bio Science Park in my hometown of Leiden and thought: there are so many companies here, there must be something cool among them. So, I started keeping an eye on the job vacancies. I’m used to handling large-scale projects and buildings, so the vacancy for this faculty stood out.’
‘A pretty broad package’
As Head of Facility Management, Rijbroek is responsible for three teams. ‘Our package is quite broad,’ she says with a laugh. ‘We basically do everything that other departments don’t.’ There is a Housing team, a Services team, and a Technical Service team. ‘Housing is responsible for all projects. They organise all the moves, including the labs and everything that comes with it. The Technical Service team takes care of the maintenance of our buildings and is indispensable during malfunctions: from leaking faucets to broken locks.’
The Services team includes the Service Desk, the Expedition and the people responsible for hazardous materials. Rijbroek: ‘A fairly invisible stream for people who don’t work those substances. We consume and produce quite a few chemicals that require special handling. Certified colleagues are involved in delivering, storing, and disposing of these chemicals. The Expedition is responsible for receiving and distributing packages and managing waste streams.’
Things are a bit different at the science faculty
At other faculties, facility management is entirely outsourced to the University Facility Services (UFB). Here at the Faculty of Science, it’s a bit different. ‘That’s due to the variety of institutes and the huge number of labs and special services,’ explains Rijbroek. ‘The faculty therefore has its own party to facilitate the institutes and act as a fixed point of contact for the UFB and the University Real Estate Directorate.’
No time to stand still
There’s plenty happening in the coming period. For instance, moves are still on the schedule. ‘The Oort building is closing at the beginning of January, and we are busy figuring out the best place to move the colleagues housed there,’ says Rijbroek. Furthermore, a new cryogenic room is coming – an extra cold storage for biological material – and the team will deliver the new measurement hall at the end of August. Less good news for users of one of the most famous shortcuts: ‘The LMUY is really going to close. It is still unknown whether Real Estate will decide to demolish or renew and reconstruct.’
And then, of course, there’s the official opening of the Gorlaeus Building, the opening of the new restaurant in the Gorlaeus Lecture Hall and the new bicycle parking in September. ‘The University Real Estate directorate is in charge, but for all these projects, we are involved and contribute our ideas.’ The prospects are promising: ‘A fountain will be placed in the campus square. Under the Lecture Hall, there is currently a huge pit, which will soon be turned into a pond. That will be quite a moment. Once everything is finished, the construction fences can be removed from the entrance. ‘Then we can also enjoy all the beautiful greenery.’
Work with a beginning and an end
The best part of her job? “I love helping people, so I really enjoy the service aspect. And the nice thing about our jobs is that they have a beginning and an end. You always have concrete results.’ But perhaps the best part: ‘Facility people are just really nice people. They are go-getters who understand what needs to be done. It’s always buzzing here.’