Junior Ocean Numerical Modeler

The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop technology to rid the world’s oceans and rivers of plastic. To be successful, we rely on a thorough understanding of the ocean plastic pollution problem. The Research team at The Ocean Cleanup aims to refine our understanding of the sources, transport, and fate of ocean plastics. You will support our mission by developing dispersal models for the transport of floating plastics from sources to accumulation areas, helping us quantify the impact that our different projects in rivers and the oceans across the world have.

"The Research group at The Ocean Cleanup is an interdisciplinary team pioneering research on ocean plastics. I look forward to onboarding a skilled numerical modeler to further our understanding of the impacts of plastic pollution in the marine environment" Laurent Lebreton, Head of Research

THE ASSIGNMENT

• Development of numerical models simulating the dispersion of floating ocean plastics in target areas.
• Sourcing and generation of high-resolution ocean circulation data in coastal and offshore environments.
• Creation of source scenarios reproducing emissions of ocean plastics in the marine environment.
• Creation of reports for impact monitoring and peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts.
• Production of intuitive and data-rich geographical data visualizations to orient our field scientists as well as engage internal and external stakeholders.
• Attendance at international scientific conferences.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Masters or PhD degree in environmental sciences, physical oceanography, coastal oceanography, numerical modelling or similar.
• At least 2 years of experience with numerical modelling for the dispersal of material in the ocean (plastics, oil spills, sediments, fish larvae etc…).
• Excellent knowledge of ocean and coastal circulation processes.
• Solid experience with mathematical scripting and data science using software such as Python, R or Matlab.
• Experience with Geographic Information System.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Self-motivated, “can do” mentality.
• Intrinsic motivation to work on our ambitious and meaningful goal.
• Ability to clearly present, explain and summarize results.
• Excellent communications skills in English.
• Able to perform well in a fast-paced and challenging environment.
• Flexible team player.
• Ability to work independently.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Starting date: January 2025
• Work permit needed: a valid European Union work permit is highly preferred for this position (the role is based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands)
• Please note because we are a non-profit, our salaries reflect that of an organization fully reliant on donations rather than that of a commercial entity. Conducting a pre-employment check is part of our 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.

Curious to hear how it is to work at The Ocean Cleanup? Listen to our team members explain their work in our podcast.