Communications Operations Specialist

Van Oord; Rotterdam; Hybrid; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel allowance

Home office allowance

Variable bonus

Pension arrangements

Development opportunities

International environment

Impact on department

Job summary

Van Oord is seeking a Communications Operations Specialist to professionalize the STS operating model in Rotterdam. You will design processes, governance, and reporting to enable consistent, effective teamwork across all STS functions.

The role combines operational focus with stakeholder management in a multidisciplinary setting, reporting to the Stakeholders & Sustainability department, with significant opportunities for professional growth and impact.

Qualifications

• Degree in business administration, organisational development, process management, project management or communications.
• 3–5 years in business operations, process management, governance, PMO or portfolio coordination.
• Experience developing and implementing processes, governance frameworks or operating models.
• Experience with data analysis, reporting, dashboards, knowledge management or organisational enablement.
• Experience in a complex, international, corporate or project-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, maintain and improve departmental processes, governance frameworks and ways of working.
• Own operational tools and frameworks including Branding Toolkit and editorial guidelines.
• Develop Knowledge Lighthouse as a central source for standards and templates.
• Identify opportunities to standardize, digitize and automate processes.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing, workshops and retrospectives.
• Use data and stakeholder insights to improve performance and inform decisions.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Process improvement

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Dutch & English fluency

Education

HBO/WO degree in business/organisational development or related

Tools

Microsoft 365

Collaboration platforms

Reporting tools

Knowledge management systems

Job description

As Communications Operations Specialist, you are responsible for the continuous improvement and professionalisation of the STS operating model. You develop and maintain processes, standards, governance frameworks, knowledge management practices, and reporting that enable teams to work consistently and effectively.
You will join the Stakeholders & Sustainability department in Rotterdam and work across all teams within the function. You collaborate with communication professionals, branding specialists, sustainability experts, stakeholder managers, project managers, and business leaders. The role therefore combines a strong operational focus with a highly people-oriented and multidisciplinary environment. This environment is dynamic and continuously evolving. You are encouraged to challenge existing ways of working, identify opportunities for improvement, and take ownership of professionalizing the department's operating model.
You translate complex needs into practical processes and tools, facilitate adoption, and use data and operational insights to identify opportunities for improvement. Alongside this, you provide portfolio and PMO coordination for departmental initiatives. You maintain visibility of priorities, capacity, progress, and performance, ensuring leadership has the information needed to make informed decisions.
Approximately 70% of your role focuses on business operations, process, data and governance, with 30% focused on portfolio and PMO coordination.

You are structured, analytical, and improvement-oriented. You naturally connect people, processes, information, and governance and enjoy turning complexity into practical solutions. You don't need to be a communications professional. What matters is that you have an affinity with communications, stakeholder management, or working in a creative and multidisciplinary environment, and that you enjoy bringing structure to complexity.

Education & Experience

• HBO or WO degree in e.g. Business Administration, Organisational Development, Process Management, Project Management, Change Management, Communications, or a related field.
• Approximately 3–5 years of experience in business operations, process management, governance, PMO, portfolio coordination, organisational development, or continuous improvement.
• Experience developing and implementing processes, governance frameworks, standards, or operating models.
• Experience with data analysis, reporting, dashboards, knowledge management, or organizational enablement.
• Experience with working in a complex, international, corporate, or project-driven environment.
• Affinity with communications, stakeholder management, branding, sustainability, or another multidisciplinary business environment.
• Strong digital skills, including Microsoft 365, collaboration platforms, reporting tools, and knowledge management systems.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to work effectively with different disciplines and senior stakeholders.
• Excellent command of Dutch and English, both written and spoken.

• A competitive salary that matches your responsibilities and experience
• Travel allowance (€0.31 per km) and home office allowance (€2,45 per day)
• Variable bonus, partly dependent on company results
• Excellent pension arrangements.
• Access to development opportunities in process improvement, governance, portfolio management, agile ways of working, and leadership.
• An international and collaborative working environment with significant opportunities for professional growth.
• The opportunity to have a lasting impact on how Stakeholders & Sustainability operates, collaborates, and evolves.
  

#LI-TT

Communications Operations, Process, Data & Governance – 70%

You create the structure and standards that enable STS teams to work consistently, efficiently, and transparently. You will:

• Design, maintain, and continuously improve departmental processes, governance frameworks, standards, methodologies, and ways of working.
• Own and develop key operational tools and frameworks, including the Branding Toolkit, communication policies, editorial guidelines, content methodologies, and associated governance processes.
• Manage and further develop the Knowledge Lighthouse as a central source for standards, templates, best practices, and business knowledge.
• Identify opportunities for standardization, simplification, digitization, and automation, and translate these into practical improvements.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing, workshops, review cycles, retrospectives, and other continuous improvement activities.
• Use operational data and stakeholder insights to identify trends, improve performance, and support informed decision-making.

Portfolio & Project Management Coordination – 30%

You provide structure and visibility across departmental initiatives and priorities. You will:

• Maintain an integrated overview of projects, initiatives, priorities, capacity, and resources across STS.
• Coordinate portfolio planning, reporting cycles, governance calendars, and management information.
• Develop and maintain dashboards, KPIs, and performance reporting, translating data into clear insights for leadership.
• Support governance meetings, lessons learned, improvement backlogs, and follow-up on key actions and initiatives.

Through your work, you make it easier for teams to collaborate, find information, follow consistent ways of working, and make informed decisions. You help STS become a more scalable, transparent, and effective department.