MISSION TO METRICS

The Ocean Cleanup develops advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. To do this, we rely on a thorough understanding of the behavior of plastic in freshwater and marine environments. The Research Team at The Ocean Cleanup aims to refine our understanding of the sources, transport, and fate of plastic debris in rivers and oceans. To this end, researchers at The Ocean Cleanup have created and applied various methodologies to investigate these questions in the field.

Your main responsibility will be to understand and compile the existing river research methodologies at The Ocean Cleanup to create a Toolbox. Ultimately, your results will support the standardization of methodologies and comparability of data.

Working independently and taking responsibility for your work are key elements of this role as well as the orderly and efficient recording, storing and analyzing of scientific methodologies and data.

RESPONSIBILITIES

As a river research intern within the Research Team, your responsibilities will be to:

Conduct and compile desktop research on river plastic investigation methodologies
Create a River Plastic Research Toolbox
Support the Research Team in establishing and refining research methods, scopes, and studies

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Science education, enrolled in a Master’s program; preferably in environmental sciences, geography, oceanography, hydrology, biology, or a closely related field
Experience in executing field and/or laboratory research protocols is important
Fluent in English
Ability to clearly present and explain the results of complex research both to scientists and to the general public
Experience in plastic pollution research is a plus
Experience with data science is a plus

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Skilled at processing complex information, summarizing, and presenting key points in a comprehensive way
Strong organizational and (graphical) layout skills
Skilled at processing complex information, summarizing, and presenting key points in a comprehensive way
Excellent communication skills
Ability to work independently
Naturally curious, creative, and determined to deliver
Above all, you have the intrinsic motivation to work on our ambitious and meaningful mission

Please note that candidates are required to be enrolled at a University (Master’s program) throughout the duration of the internship.

For this assignment, you will work for 4 to 6 months with our team, based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Please mention your potential start date and preferred duration in your application.

WORK PERMIT NEEDED:

European Union

Starting from:: February 2023
Work permit needed:: European Union; A valid European Union work permit is highly preferred for this position. However, feel free to send an open application so we can contact you if an opportunity arises in your country.