Communications Director

Mission to Metrics

The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technology to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. The goal of the Communications Director is to amplify our global impact by elevating and protecting The Ocean Cleanup brand. Essentially, all decisions and actions undertaken must be directly aimed at getting The Ocean Cleanup closer to successfully completing the largest cleanup in history. You will oversee shaping the narrative of our organization, ensuring our message reaches diverse audiences, while maintaining the integrity and urgency of our mission.

The Communications Director reports to the CEO/Founder of The Ocean Cleanup.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Oversight: Lead all internal and external communications efforts, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Mission-Driven Storytelling: Develop and execute a communication strategy that shares project progress, inspires global support, and mobilizes resources.
• New Media Expertise: Leverage social media, podcasts, YouTube, and other platforms to amplify the brand and mission.
• Brand Responsibility: Protect and enhance The Ocean Cleanup’s brand, ensuring it reflects our mission, vision, and values.
• Team Leadership: Manage and mentor a 10-15 member communications team, enabling growth, collaboration, and efficiency.
• Content Oversight: Supervise content production, including social media, design, multimedia, copywriting, and media partnerships.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Align communication strategies with organizational goals and integrate messaging across departments.
• Partnership Management: Oversee external relations with key partners, including individuals, companies, and governments.
• Internal Communications: Design systems to ensure consistent, high-quality internal communication, keeping teams informed and aligned.

Professional Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience in communications, public relations and branding, with a proven track record in leadership roles.
• A big-picture thinker with the ability to develop and execute innovative communication strategies that drive global impact.
• Proven success in elevating an organization’s reach and influence through powerful storytelling, with experience in the start-up to scale-up stage of an organization. Ideally in an environmental or nonprofit sector.
• Strong hands-on management and mentoring skills, with the ability to inspire and guide a young, talented team in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver measurable results, such as significant growth in audience reach, engagement, and brand visibility and valuation.

Personal Qualifications

• Passion for the Mission: Intrinsic motivation to contribute to The Ocean Cleanup’s ambitious and meaningful goals!
• A hands-on, 24/7 mentality with the ability to take the initiative in our ambitious and fast-paced environment.
• Curious for news with a drive to be part of it.
• A natural team player who values collaboration and works effectively with diverse teams, stakeholders, and partners.
• A creative mindset with the ability to generate fresh ideas and keep the organization’s storytelling engaging and impactful.

Additional Details

• Starting date: As soon as possible
• Work permit: A valid European Union work permit is highly preferred for this position (the role is based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands).
• Salary: Please note that because we are a non-profit, our salaries reflect that of an organization fully reliant on donations rather than that of a commercial entity.
• Pre-employment check: 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.