Technical Program Coordinator
The Ocean Cleanup
IT, Operations
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Posted on Feb 13, 2026
POSTED: 10th February 2026
STARTING DATE: As soon as possible
FULL TIME, ROTTERDAM
MISSION TO METRICS
The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. As part of the Science & Technology team we design and research systems that stop plastic from reaching our oceans by intercepting it in rivers
THE ASSIGNMENT
We are looking for a Technical Program Coordinator who will provide the operational backbone that keeps the Analysis & Performance department aligned, on track, and working in cadence. You understand technical work and data uncertainties, but know how to structure work into clear cycles, push for milestones, manage interdependencies across multidisciplinary teams and support the head of department in delivering high-quality outcomes on time and a sustainable pace.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program Coordinator will bring strong organizational skills, the ability to push for clarity and delivery, and excellent cross-functional communication. You can navigate uncertainty, structure complex technical work, and support the Analysis and Performance team in achieving their results and ambitious goals. Your overall responsibilities include:
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”
STARTING DATE: As soon as possible
FULL TIME, ROTTERDAM
MISSION TO METRICS
The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. As part of the Science & Technology team we design and research systems that stop plastic from reaching our oceans by intercepting it in rivers
THE ASSIGNMENT
We are looking for a Technical Program Coordinator who will provide the operational backbone that keeps the Analysis & Performance department aligned, on track, and working in cadence. You understand technical work and data uncertainties, but know how to structure work into clear cycles, push for milestones, manage interdependencies across multidisciplinary teams and support the head of department in delivering high-quality outcomes on time and a sustainable pace.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program Coordinator will bring strong organizational skills, the ability to push for clarity and delivery, and excellent cross-functional communication. You can navigate uncertainty, structure complex technical work, and support the Analysis and Performance team in achieving their results and ambitious goals. Your overall responsibilities include:
- Support the HoD in maintaining the department’s master execution plan and budget, integrating timelines from all teams, tracking progress, identifying bottlenecks, and enabling pragmatic decision-making.
- Set up and run department-wide coordination rituals (weekly syncs, reviews, steering meetings, planning sessions) and serve as the central point of contact for cross-team updates, reminders, and follow-ups.
- Maintain clear documentation, including decision logs, activity logs, open issues lists, and cross-pillar files, ensuring transparency, alignment, and reproducibility.
- Coordinate cross-department dependencies and expectations, ensuring stakeholder alignment and facilitating structured handovers when multiple teams rely on each other’s outputs.
- Support recruitment and onboarding of technical staff and consultants, and ensure key templates, reports, and shared materials are organised, accessible, and up to date.
- Track timelines, budgets, and resource needs across pillars, proactively adapting plans to evolving project requirements, and supporting leads with planning of upgrades, field campaigns, experiments, and evidence-integration cycles.
“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”
- Master's degree in computer science, data science, physics, hydrology, or another geoscience related field.
- 2-5 years of relevant work experience.
- Experience with python (intermediate skill level) and software version control.
- Experienced with processing geospatial data.
- Experience with ETL data pipelines in Databricks is a plus.
- Affinity with IoT and hydrological sensors is a plus.
- Fluent in English.
- Affinity with conveying technical data to non-technical colleagues.
- Eye for detail, especially related to graphics and visualizations.
- Able to deal with uncertainty, changes in scope and ambiguity.
- Able to perform well in a fast-paced and challenging environment.
- Curious, creative, and hands-on mentality. You can, and you like to execute things yourself.
- Willingness to travel abroad.
- Starting date: as soon as possible.
- A valid work permit, or residency, to work in the Netherlands.
- As a non-profit organization, our salaries reflect our reliance on donations rather than commercial salaries.
- Conducting a pre-employment check is part of our recruitment process.
- We welcome applications from diverse backgrounds and are committed to an equal opportunity hiring process.