POSTED: 18th July 2026
STARTING DATE: As soon as possible
FULL TIME, ROTTERDAM
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. To be successful, we rely on a thorough understanding of the ocean plastic pollution problem. The research team at The Ocean Cleanup aims at refining our understanding of the sources, transport and fate of ocean plastics. You will support our mission by implementing plastic dispersal models simulating the coastal transport of floating plastics from river and offshore sources to accumulation areas, helping us quantify the impact of our different projects in rivers and the ocean across the world.
*"At The Ocean Cleanup, our scientists work at the forefront of research on plastic pollution in rivers and oceans. The insights you generate will play a key role in improving our cleanup strategies.
Join our diverse and international science team to contribute to tackling one of today’s most urgent environmental challenges."*, Dr Thomas Mani, Lead River Plastic Research.
THE ASSIGNMENT
- Implementation of numerical Lagrangian particle tracking models simulating the dispersion of floating ocean plastics from river and offshore sources in target coastal areas.
- Sourcing high resolution ocean circulation data in coastal domains and where no suitable model exists, supporting its development.
- Designing site-specific source scenarios reproducing land-based and maritime emissions of ocean plastics into the marine workplace.
- Guide and support the design of field work campaigns based on numerical modelling results.
- Refinement of modelling processes for simulating the fate of plastic pollution in coastal environments such as beaching, sinking degradation etc., based on learnings from the field and the literature.
- Creation of reports for impact monitoring and peer