Program Director – 30 Cities Program

Overview

Program Director – 30 Cities Program at The Ocean Cleanup. The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic, including intercepting plastic in rivers.

Our ambition is to, in the next few years, stop up to 1/3rd of global plastic pollution inflow by deploying Interceptors in the rivers of 30 of the most plastic polluted cities across Asia and the Americas (the 30 Cities program).

As Program Director, you will oversee the successful delivery of the 30 Cities program by supporting our functional teams, identifying and helping to resolve issues that challenge timely and on-budget delivery. Your success will be measured by the program’s completion within scope, schedule, and budget.

“The success of the 30 Cities program has the ability to directly transform more than a dozen waterbodies around the world and address up to 1/3rd of all plastic pollution from rivers.” – Boyan Slat

The Assignment

The Program Director (PD) is responsible for stewarding the success of the 30 Cities Program. You will guide the program to deliver its goals, nurture collaboration across teams, and ensure resources are used wisely. When challenges arise, you will help the organization learn, adapt, and recover with resilience—especially in the areas where teams and partners intersect.

You will maintain a holistic view of the river deployment process, distill key insights, and share updates through dashboards and conversations with the Management Team and Supervisory Board. You will also shape tools and processes that strengthen both current performance and long-term organizational capacity. The PD reports directly to the CEO.

Professional Qualifications

• While possessing a degree or higher-level qualification is advantageous, our primary focus is on individuals with strong intellectual capacity and quick thinking.
• Highly experienced in Project & Program Management (incl. Risk management, budgeting, and scheduling).
• Project Management qualifications may be a plus but demonstrable success in project/program management is more important.
• Demonstrated ability to balance delivery with learning, reflection, and adaptation.
• Significant experience in leading large-scale, complex programs across multiple countries, ideally in technical or mission-driven environments (e.g. Offshore, infrastructure, manufacturing).
• Familiarity with project management and dashboard tools (e.g., MS Project, Primavera, Power BI) as enablers of clarity and alignment, rather than ends in themselves.
• Experience navigating external dependencies (regulatory, commercial, partners, suppliers) with an emphasis on building trust-based relationships.
• Experience with overseeing technical development, innovation, and/or compliance with environmental/quality standards is a plus.

Personal Qualifications

• Tenacious and creative problem-solver
• Structured; process-minded without being bureaucratic
• Skilled in negotiation and conflict resolution
• Change management experience, especially in scaling organizations
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to manage stress and maintain focus/set priorities under pressure

Additional Details

• Starting date: As soon as possible
• Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands (role based in Rotterdam)
• Reporting to: Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO
• Hybrid work style; role requires being in the office most of the time
• We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome special needs requests

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Business Development and Sales

Industries

• Non-profit Organizations