Legal & Government Affairs Counsel (International)

Mission to Metrics

The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop technology to rid the world’s oceans and rivers of plastic. You will support our mission by bringing legal expertise to the team. This is an exceptional opportunity for driven legal professionals to apply their skills while contributing to meaningful environmental impact within a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

“As Legal & Government Affairs Counsel at The Ocean Cleanup, you have the unique opportunity to enable our meaningful mission by finding creative regulatory solutions across multiple jurisdictions. Join our ambitious crew and help opening doors for our cleanup operations!" Dillian van Vliet, Legal and Government Affairs.

The Assignment

To provide legal advice and support for all The Ocean Cleanup group entities, managing the legal risks they may face across several areas of law and jurisdictions. You will draft, review, and negotiate contracts with suppliers, sponsors, partners, international organizations and governments, related to our Rivers operations. You will be involved in mapping and overseeing regulatory requirements for the operations of The Ocean Cleanup and in public relations with regulatory authorities where necessary. Because our operations are relatively new and unique, existing laws and regulations might not cover such operations. In close cooperation with our local partners, you will manage our efforts, ensuring maximum impact with minimum resources. There are often no precedents (something that makes this job so exciting).

Next to your support in international operations, you will support the Legal Director and the Management Team on an array of corporate governance related topics, preparing board resolutions and advising on decision-making strategies to ensure compliance with our internal corporate policies and processes.

The responsibilities and activities are extremely broad and diverse. You will work with an international team of talented lawyers in Rotterdam and highly ranked law firms that support The Ocean Cleanup. Flexibility in terms of regions and end-responsibilities is required.

Responsibilities Include

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a variety of contracts (mainly in English language)
• Mapping applicable laws and regulations and facilitating operational compliance
• Advising on a variety of legal topics upon consultation with external counsel where required
• Mapping government affairs stakeholders and establishing relationships for constructive dialogue with institutions in the deployment area, together with the Business Development department
• Supporting the Rivers Department in deploying its projects, including ensuring the right permits and licenses are in place
• Supporting the creation and maintenance of relationships with governments at the regional level, international organizations and like-minded institutions, with a clear-sighted focus on delivering our mission
• Accelerate engagement with opportunities for institutional funding together with the Global Public Affairs department
• Managing strategic and governance alignment by providing counsel on regulatory obligations and compliance

Professional Qualifications

• Legal professional with a master’s degree in law
• At least 10 years of experience as an in-house (corporate) counsel and/or with an international organization, non-profit foundation or embassy/consulate
• Understanding of governance frameworks (incl. Sustainability, ESG, CSR, Compliance)
• Experience and understanding of finance and tax laws is a pre
• Extensive skills in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating international contracts
• Experience working in a highly international environment, across several jurisdictions
• A proven ability to deliver results through well-targeted contacts with governments, international organizations and civil societies
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to travel regularly
• Excellent English communication skills (written and verbal), Spanish is a pre

Personal Qualifications

• Thrives in a fast-paced, international environment
• Pragmatic where possible, but thorough when needed
• Team player with high cultural awareness and diplomatic sensitivity
• Excellent communication skills and a positive attitude
• Mature and independent while being a great team player
• Intrinsic motivation to work on our ambitious and meaningful goal

Additional Details

• Starting date: as soon as possible
• Location: 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.