Senior People Business Partner

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.

The HR team plays a vital role in making that mission possible by enabling our people to thrive. We translate ambition into action by attracting purpose-driven talent, supporting our teams through every stage of the employee journey, ensuring full compliance with employment laws and payroll processes, and providing learning & development support to all our staff members.

We are looking for a Senior People Business Partner who will act as an Employee Champion and Change Agent. The position is responsible for aligning business objectives with employees and management in designated teams. For the right candidate this role could involve managing the People Business Partner and Operations Team.

As a Senior People Business Partner, you will serve as a strategic sparring partner, aligning business needs with People & Organization initiatives while acting as the primary HR contact. You will drive organizational health by optimizing structures to meet business goals and coach managers on performance management and employee development. Your role includes providing expertise in employee relations, feedback, compensation, and organizational development, while building strong stakeholder relationships across the business.

• Set clear direction for the Business Partner function and define how the team engages with and enables the business.

• Act as a sparring partner and work with the business to identify business needs and requirements, serving as the point of contact for all People & Organization matters.

• Shape and drive People strategies across a global workforce, ensuring alignment across regions and business priorities.

• Build and drive organizational health by ensuring the organization is structured to achieve business objectives.

• Educate, coach, and partner with managers on performance management and employee development goals.

• Lead and advise on complex employee relations, organizational development, performance, compensation, and talent matters.

• Influence and build relationships with stakeholders across the business.

• Build credibility and trust among employees; resolve employee concerns with compassion and follow-through.

• Lead core People processes in designated teams (performance calibration, compensation cycle, promotions).

• Collaborate with the People & Organization team on projects from inception to rollout.

• Oversee the monthly payroll process and provision of key information including KPI and OKRs.

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing or mentoring HR Business Partners or People teams

• Strong coaching and facilitation skills with experience supporting manager development.

• Business-level English fluency required.

• Experience working in highly international and culturally diverse organizations.

• Ability to set team direction and translate P&O strategy into clear priorities for a team of business partners.

• Experience in organizational development, change management, and employee relations.

• Knowledge of Dutch labour law.

• Familiarity with HR systems (e.g., Personio, Culture Amp) and data-driven decision-making.

• Strong business acumen and ability to align People Strategies with organizational goals.

• Excellent communication, coaching, and conflict resolution skills.

• Ability to influence and build relationships at all levels of the organization.

• Proactive problem-solving with a hands-on, pragmatic approach.

• Experience in performance management, compensation, and talent development.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or a related field.

• 10+ years of P&O experience, with a strong background in senior Business Partnering in a fast-paced international environment.

• Experience in scale-ups, tech, and international organizations is a plus.

• Hybrid working model (approximately 2–3 days per week in the Rotterdam office)

• Opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organization with global impact.

• Collaborative and international working environment.

• Exposure to large-scale organizational and people initiatives.

• Potential leadership responsibility within the People Business Partner and Operations team.

• Equal opportunity and transparent hiring approach.

• Support for individual needs and an inclusive workplace culture.

• Starting date – ASAP.

• Location – Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

• Conducting a pre-employment check may be part of this recruitment process.