POSTED: 28th November 2025
STARTING DATE: As soon as possible
FULL TIME, ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

MISSION TO METRICS

The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. To do this we must maintain the highest Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) standards. We are dedicated to creating measurable impacts through robust assurance practices that enhance operational integrity and sustainability. By employing a data-driven metrics framework, we track progress, identify improvement areas, and demonstrate accountability, ultimately promoting a safer and cleaner marine environment.


THE ASSIGNMENT

The Ocean Cleanup is seeking a dynamic and motivated individual to join our team as a Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) Assurance & Oversight Specialist. This role offers an exciting opportunity for a passionate individual to ensure the effective implementation, verification, and maintenance of QHSE and assurance initiatives across our organization.
This position’s primary focus is to ensure the verification of third-party activities, conduct data quality and traceability checks, maintain audit-ready evidence, and support external third-party verification of our operational activities. This includes reviewing partner submissions, validating extraction and processing data, identifying discrepancies, and raising CAPAs to maintain high assurance standards.
In addition, the role plays an important secondary function in supporting QHSE internal compliance, covering incident reporting, internal audits, employee wellbeing initiatives, and ISO-aligned training and governance requirements. The QHSE Assurance & Oversight Specialist will work cross-functionally to strengthen our integrated management system, reinforce safety structures, and contribute to ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and Chain of Custody requirements.
The Assurance & Oversight Specialist reports to the Head of QHSE.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Validate operational and partner-submitted documentation, ensuring accuracy, completeness, consistency, and end-to-end traceability of materials and activities.
• Perform high-quality review, validation, and traceability checks of operational and partner-submitted data to maintain continual audit-readiness for third-party verification.
• Maintain structured audit-ready assurance records, including evidence packages, data quality trackers, and documentation for third-party verifiers.
• Conduct routine data quality control (QC) checks, identify discrepancies, and initiate or follow up on corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Coordinate external third-party verification and audit activities, ensuring timely communication, organized evidence, and accurate responses to auditor queries.
• Support QHSE-focused internal audits, contributing findings and improvement recommendations while ensuring compliance with internal requirements and Quality Management System (QMS) expectations.
• Coordinate project-level compliance checks and ensure timely completion of planned project audits as per the annual audit schedule.
• Secure timely investigation and documentation of incidents and HSE concerns, supporting investigations and root cause analysis while tracking CAPAs and escalations where needed.
• Monitor adherence to QHSE organizational policies, procedures, standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure completion of required trainings and maintain verified evidence of competency and training completion across teams in collaboration with People & Organization (P&O).
• Maintain and update assurance logs, dashboards, and trend reports to summarize recurring data issues, partner performance patterns, and improvement opportunities.
• Support the harmonization and controlled release of QMS documentation, ensuring processes, templates, and records are current, consistent, and version-controlled.
• Identify gaps in processes and recommend improvements to strengthen organizational performance.
• Support standardization of procedures across departments and project sites.
• Coordinate execution and evidence tracking of Governance Policy trainings and other required organizational training plans, ensuring teams meet internal competence and awareness expectations.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

“Even if you don’t meet every professional qualification listed, we strongly encourage you to apply if you believe you have the right skills, experience, and motivation to contribute to our mission. We recognize that talent and potential come in many forms, and we value diverse perspectives and unconventional career paths. If you’re passionate about the work we do and confident in your ability to make an impact, don’t hesitate to submit your application—we’d love to hear from you”

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Quality Management, Business Administration, Risk Management, Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Sciences, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of relevant experience in assurance, quality & compliance, or QHSE within a matrix or multi-stakeholder environment.
• Experience reviewing operational data, documentation, and submission for the verification of 3rd party activities is required. Experience with traceability or Chain of Custody or familiarity with Standards such as Verra, Gold Standard, GHG protocol is an advantage.
• Familiarity with project depevelopment and deployments in sustainability sectors, field activities, or and assurance requirements is a plus.
• Previous involvement in internal audits, incident investigations, or ISO-aligned compliance processes is preferred.
• Working knowledge of QHSE policies and ISO management system standards (ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001).
• Strong command of English (written and spoken); Dutch is an advantage.
• Experience working in international, multicultural environments.
• Proficiency in Office and digital tools, with the ability to manage structured documentation and data.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong analytical thinking with high attention to detail and data integrity.
• Proactive, structured, and able to work independently while engaging cross-functionally.
• Comfortable in dynamic, fast-paced environments with shifting priorities.
• Resilient, solution-oriented, and motivated to drive improvements despite challenges.
• Clear and confident communicator, able to translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Intrinsic motivation to contribute to The Ocean Cleanup’s mission and impact-driven work.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Starting date – As Soon As Possible
• Location Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Conducting a pre-employment check may be part of this recruitment process.
• At The Ocean Cleanup, we believe we are stronger together, while harnessing the uniqueness each individual brings. That is why we take a fair, equal opportunity, and transparent approach to hiring and welcome special needs requests.