People & Organization Manager

POSTED: 22nd July 2026 STARTING DATE: As soon as possible FULL TIME, ROTTERDAM MISSION TO METRICS The Ocean Cleanup is a global nonprofit that develops and scales solutions to rid the world’s oceans of plastic, driving systemic change, and creating a lasting positive impact for people, wildlife, and the planet. The People & Organization (P&O) team plays a vital role in making that mission possible by enabling our people to thrive. We translate ambition into action by attracting purpose-driven talent, supporting our teams through every stage of the employee journey, ensuring full compliance with employment laws and payroll processes, and providing learning & development support to all our staff members. We are seeking an experienced P&O Manager to lead our P&O team, drive the people strategy, and provide proactive P&O business partnering to support leaders and employees across the organization. THE ASSIGNMENT The P&O Manager will lead our People Operations and the Business Partnering team. You will set clear goals and priorities, coach and develop team members, manage performance and conduct reviews, and allocate workload and resources. You will maintain our positive, inclusive team culture, ensure effective cross‑functional communication, monitor team metrics and continuous improvement, and uphold accountability for delivering high‑quality P&O services and strategic business partnering.

Lead, coach, and develop a team of People Business Partners, Operations Specialist, and Generalist. Set clear direction for the BP function and define how the team engages with and enables the business. Act as a sparring partner and work with the business to identify business needs and requirements, serving as the point of contact for all People & Organization matters. Shapes and drives People strategies across a global workforce, ensuring alignment across regions and business priorities. Build and drive organizational health by ensuring the organization is structured to achieve business objectives. Educate, coach, and partner with managers on performance management and employee development goals. Lead and advise" on complex employee relations, organizational development, performance, compensation, and talent matters. Influence and build relationships with stakeholders across the business. Build credibility and trust among employees; resolve employee concerns with compassion and follow-through. Lead core People processes in designated teams (performance calibration, compensation cycle, promotions). Collaborate with the People & Organization team on projects from inception to rollout. Oversee the monthly payroll process and provision of key information including KPI and OKRs. 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 Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or a related field. 10+ years of HR experience, with a strong background in senior Business Partnering in a fast-paced international environment. Demonstrated experience leading or managing a team, with a track record of developing people. The ability to set team direction and translate P&O strategy into clear priorities for a team of business partners. Experience in organizational development, change management, and employee relations. Knowledge of Dutch labour law. Familiarity with HR systems (e.g., Personio, Culture Amp) and data-driven decision-making. Strong business acumen and ability to align People Strategies with organizational goals. Excellent communication, coaching, and conflict resolution skills. Ability to influence and build relationships at all levels of the organization. Proactive problem-solving with a hands-on, pragmatic approach. Experience in performance management, compensation, and talent development. Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, mission-driven environment. Experience in scale-ups, tech, and international organizations is a plus. ADDITIONAL DETAILS Starting date – Asap. 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. Thank you for wanting to apply to The Ocean Cleanup. Let us get to know you a bit better by filling out the form below. Personal information First Name Last Name Email Phone City Country --Select-- Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England and Wales Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Lichtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maledives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Ireland Norway Oman Pakistan Palestine Panama Papa New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa San Marino Saudia Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapora Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Ossetia South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan USA Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates Vietnam Other General information Years of experience in similar field --Select-- Less than 1 year 1 - 2 years 2 - 5 years 5 - 7 years 7 - 10 years 10 - 15 years More than 15 years Study degree --Select-- Bachelor Master PhD Other Study degree title Business proficient languages Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) to select multiple languages. English Dutch German French Chinese Mandarin Japanese Vietnamese Bahasa Indonesia Bahasa Malaysia Thai Spanish Russian Portugese Danish Finnish Swedish Italian Share links to your LinkedIn, website, portfolio or video What is your availability? Full-time Part-time Full-time and part-time Are you willing to relocate to the country of the position? Yes No If you are already located in the country of the position, choose Yes. Do you have a valid work permit for the European Union? Yes No Name three things in your resume we should not miss and why. Briefly described in max 800 characters. I am OK with being kept in portfolio for another potential position than the one I applied for, up to 1 year. Read more in this FAQ . Get the latest news about The Ocean Cleanup delivered to your inbox. I have read and agree to the Privacy Statement Submit your application For questions about the application process, please see our FAQ page . Please note: this form is only meant for individual applicants, not for unsolicited help from headhunters or search firms.