POSTED: 9/7/2026
STARTING DATE: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
FULL TIME, MUMBAI, INDIA

MISSION TO METRICS

The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. One part of the solution is to design, develop, and deploy cleanup systems to stop plastic from reaching our oceans by intercepting it in rivers. As a project manager for Deployment & Operations – India, you will work on such river projects in Mumbai.

THE ASSIGNMENT

As a Project Manager D&O...

• You will be managing a portfolio of projects in Mumbai towards successful plastic interception deployments
• You will be responsible for the project controls management of the D&O, with a strong focus on planning, progress monitoring, forecasting, and implementation of effective work processes.
• You will act as a key link between local operations in Mumbai and The Ocean Cleanup headquarters in the Netherlands on planning and scale-up activities.

You will report to the Regional Director in India and work closely together with the discipline leads to achieve your objectives. Your counterparts in Mumbai will be the Operations Manager (India) & the Regional Supply Chain Manager. For Deployments, you will be the project lead leading a team of discipline experts (Phase 3&4). After a deployment, you will handover to Operations Manager (India) (Phase 5).

This role suits someone who...

• Enjoys developing big picture goals to mid & short-term objectives, and can translate on-the-ground insights into actionable plans for scale.
• Enjoys balancing day-to-day technical and operational realities with structured project work.
• Has an affinity for waste management, civil / offshore / waterworks engineering, and willing to learn on the go.
• Can manage multiple (internal & external) stakeholders whilst prioritizing outcomes as needed.
• Dares to challenge status quo with a rationale and can rally people behind the reasoning.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Scale-Up & Project Management

• Lead the development and execution of the Mumbai scale-up plan, in collaboration with the regional leads, and the project team at HQ.
• Guide project team & gather technical, operational, and waste-management inputs into feasibility studies, site assessments, permitting considerations, and deployment planning.
• Lead & own project planning, timelines, budgets, risk assessments, and build “Plan B” contingencies for new river projects.
• Lead preparation for new deployments, including logistics, operations readiness, and coordination with local implementation partners.
• Manage progress across multiple initiatives and ensure alignment between local execution and HQ expectations.
• Design and implement a local supplier strategy along with your Indian counterparts that ensures timely delivery and deployment and 100% uptime for our systems.
• Lead end-to-end RFX processes with supply chain. You’ll negotiate proposals that balance cost, quality, and agility, and develop legal contracts with the selected organisations.

2. Partner & Stakeholder Management

• Lead and/or participate in local stakeholder meetings where operational credibility, feasibility, or implementation detail is required.
• Lead discussions with government institutions, regulators, and public stakeholders by providing operational, technical, waste-management, and permitting-related nuances.
• Help translate policy, permitting, and regulatory requirements into concrete operational and project implications.
• Support Operations Manager towards contract management with existing partners. Identify, assess, and help onboard potential local operations, waste management, and maintenance partners in Mumbai.
• Work closely with the local Business Development representative on partner sourcing and evaluations by moving beyond transactional relationships.

3. Reporting & Communication

• Report progress, potential bottlenecks, risks, key operational insights to the HQ & Regional D&O Director.
• Prepare structured updates on operations and scale-up activities for stakeholders.
• Support HQ teams with reliable local data, feedback, and contextual understanding.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

“Even if you don’t meet every professional qualification listed, we strongly encourage you to apply if you believe you have the right skills, experience, and motivation to contribute to our mission. We recognize that talent and potential come in many forms, and we value diverse perspectives and unconventional career paths. If you’re passionate about the work we do and confident in your ability to make an impact, don’t hesitate to submit your application—we’d love to hear from you”

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a technical, engineering, operations, or project management-related field.
• 8–12 years of relevant experience in operations management, project management, or a hybrid role, preferably in infrastructure-heavy or public-sector–adjacent environments. Has experience with project management tools (e.g. MS Project, Planner) and is tool-agnostic.
• Proven ability to support multi-stakeholder projects involving planning, execution, and operational handover. Has worked across multiple cultural setup and able to navigate cultural communication dynamics.
• Proven ability on budgeting, scheduling, risk management, and performance reporting.
• Experience in building a supplier base from scratch in emerging or complex markets is a strong plus.
• Experience in procurement & supply chain management is a strong plus.
• Experience with infrastructure/maritime/civil works/ environmental or asset-heavy operations is a strong plus.
• Fluency in English is mandatory with local language (Marathi) is a huge plus.

Stakeholder & Seniority Expectations

• Comfortable engaging with (senior) external stakeholders, including funders, municipal corporations, regional and national government institutions.
• Able to support and participate in high-level discussions alongside team members, representing The Ocean Cleanup in a professional and credible manner and contributing to trust-based relationships.

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Hands-on, pragmatic, and comfortable operating in complex, evolving environments. You get energy by working in fast-paced setups and from seeing tasks and projects through to completion.
• You have a "roll up your sleeves" attitude and can talk technical specs with engineers and contract terms with lawyers.
• Able to switch between strategic planning and operational problem-solving on the go.
• Strong communicator with cultural sensitivity and stakeholder awareness.
• Structured, detail-oriented, and proactive in identifying issues before they escalate.
• Comfortable working remotely while coordinating across time zones.
• Intrinsically motivated by The Ocean Cleanup’s mission and impact.
• Team-player – you know how to motivate and guide teams in order to deliver to the best of their abilities, get buy-in to trial new ways of working and work transparently with colleagues to ensure the learnings get transferred across the organization.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

• Location: Remote, based in the Mumbai, India. Residency permits or ability to work in the country is required.
• Travel: Ability to travel to different sites in Mumbai and travel outside Mumbai as needed.
• Start date: As soon as possible.
• Please note that as a non-profit organization, our compensation reflects our mission-driven nature.
• Conducting a pre-employment check is part of our recruitment process.
• 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.