People & Organization Manager

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 People & Organization Manager (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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Shape and drive 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, including performance calibration, compensation cycle, and 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

• 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

• Conducting a pre-employment check may be part of this recruitment process.