Leanne Ryan, QC Microbiologist in Analytical & Microbiological Method Development & Validation, joined Arcinova in 2025. In this blog, Leanne reflects on her first year at Arcinova, her professional growth, what motivates her day to day, and how she maintains a healthy work–life balance.
What experience did you have before you worked at Arcinova?
Before joining Arcinova, I worked for a couple of years as a microbiology lab analyst at Northumbrian Water. This allowed me to gain a lot of technical skills and knowledge that prepared me for my role here. A lot of the methods and techniques are analogous with each other, although with a few differences here and there. This really helped during my initial training, as I already had an underlying understanding of what we were trying to achieve. This meant that I didn’t feel completely overwhelmed when I started and my team were incredibly welcoming and warm, which made me feel like part of the team straight away.
Prior to my role in water microbiology, I worked in university laboratories as a graduate research assistant. That experience introduced me to working with clients and helped me develop strong communication skills. I regularly met with the company we were conducting research for, delivered presentations, and wrote technical reports covering progress against deliverables, timelines, and budgets. All of this has proved invaluable in my current role, as I now regularly join client calls to discuss project updates and timelines. All of which, I really enjoy.
How have you personally grown in your role?
Although I came from a microbiology laboratory background, I feel like my confidence has grown massively both professionally and personally. I now feel assured in the work I do and I feel like I do truly know what I am doing, which is a big change for me as I have always doubted myself until now.
I’ve also become much more social and open to talking to people across the site. Everyone at Arcinova is very friendly and welcoming, and I now feel comfortable striking up conversations with anyone, from immediate colleagues to senior management, which has been a really positive experience.
What motivates you most in your current position?
I am a self-motivated person by nature and always strive to do the best job I can. But I suppose what most motivates me are my team. The Microbiology team is relatively small, which means we've all become quite close and get on really well.
I like to think that we are a well-oiled machine and we all jump in to help with workload and to get what needs done, done.
That sense of camaraderie and friendship makes work feel less like work. We see how hard everyone works, and it makes you want to match that, we don’t want people to feel overwhelmed in work or like they have no support, so we help each other as much as we can and I feel like that support and team work is essential. At the end of the day we are all trying to achieve the same goal and in working together as a solid team we always deliver.
What do you like most about working at Arcinova?
What I enjoy most about working at Arcinova is the energy and pace of the environment— it’s exciting. I love being busy and working on multiple projects at the same time, as it keeps things interesting and challenges me to stay organised, which I genuinely enjoy.
Working in a small team means we’re involved in a wide variety of projects, making the work feel impactful.
I also really value the collaboration across departments. Building connections and working together to move projects forward is incredibly rewarding.
Now that I’ve settled into my role, I feel confident reaching out across the site, having conversations that help keep projects moving forward. It’s a great feeling to be part of such a connected and supportive team! Plus, the variety of work and opportunities to learn new skills make Arcinova a fantastic place for career growth.
What helps you maintain balance between your work and personal life?
Arcinova’s flexible working approach plays a big part in helping me maintain a healthy work–life balance. It allows me to make time for my hobbies and spend time with friends and family without feeling overwhelmed at work.
I’m naturally organised, which helps me prioritise tasks and plan my days effectively so I can get the most out of both work and personal time. I dedicate one to two days a week to an active hobby (line dancing!) and finish a little earlier on those days. That routine leaves me feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the week, where I might need to work a little longer. Keeping a healthy routine helps me manage stress and stay focused and engaged at work.