Global Public Affairs Internship

About The Ocean Cleanup

The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. To accomplish this, forging and maintaining relations with governments and other relevant stakeholders is essential. The Ocean Cleanup seeks a motivated intern to support the activities of the Global Public Affairs team.

This internship is an opportunity for students who, in the context of their studies or their doctoral research, wish to gain practical educational work experience and deepen their knowledge of international relations, multilateral treaty negotiations and implementation, transboundary law, grant writing, and blue finance.

We are living in a watershed moment for the intersection between plastic pollution, international relations, and law. We are looking forward to welcoming an intern who wishes to be in the first row to witness such a moment and to work with us in our engagement with governments, international organizations, and like-minded institutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Global Public Affairs, Policy, and Blue Finance team is responsible for engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders that activate policy, financial, partnership, and advocacy support required by our global river scale-up. The team monitors global developments, political trends, financial innovations, potential risks, and opportunities for the mission. You will be involved in a variety of projects, with tasks including conducting research, drafting resources, communicating, preparing, and assisting during meetings and organizational tasks. This internship is a unique opportunity to learn more about the strategy, goals, and actions of a Global Public Affairs, Policy, and Blue Finance team.

Main tasks:

• Support in the preparation of internal and external meetings and international events
• Support in the organization of meetings and events
• Contribute to the communication of the work of The Ocean Cleanup, both internally and externally
• Assisting with the preparation of presentations and the collection of other information according to the needs of the Director of Global Public Affairs
• Monitor and analyze relevant policy developments at national, regional, and global levels, including writing briefing notes
• Monitor and analyze developments in the blue finance space, including, but not limited to, instruments such as debt-to-nature swaps, blue bonds, credits, and other types of blended finance
• Contribute to the development of stakeholder maps and market entry strategies for new geographies in The Ocean Cleanup’s pipeline
• Carry out research on particular points of environmental law and governance related to the mission of The Ocean Cleanup
• Draft substantive resources about the Mission of The Ocean Cleanup

Applicants should bear in mind that the nature of the work assigned will generally be a combination of both substantive and administrative work (incl. preparation of travel missions).

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• The internship position is open to those currently studying international relations, political science, public administration, environmental policy, international law or related fields at the Master's, J.D, and Ph.D. levels.
• Knowledge or interest in statistics and econometrics is an advantage
• Knowledge of UN systems and multilateral policymaking processes is an advantage
• Full professional proficiency in English is required. Advanced knowledge of French, Spanish or Dutch are an advantage

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Able to perform well in a fast-paced and challenging environment
• Curious, creative, and determined to deliver
• Flexible team player
• Ability to work independently
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Intrinsic motivation to work towards our ambitious and meaningful goal

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• A transcript of academic records or a statement of academic results
• An academic writing sample (an excerpt of any of your essays or papers in English)
• At least one letter of recommendation

Please submit all required documents as a single PDF file.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Starting date: July/August 2025
• Duration: 6 months (please note we do not consider interns for a shorter period), full-time
• Please note that candidates are required to be enrolled at a University (Master's/PhD program) throughout the duration of the internship. If applicable, the internship can be combined with a Master's thesis project.
• 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 explaining their work in our podcast.