Strategic Tech, Data & Systems Leader

The Ocean Cleanup; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ocean Cleanup is seeking a Head of Technology, Data and Systems to own end‑to‑end technology strategy, shaping scalable, secure systems for HQ and remote teams in Rotterdam. You will lead ERP/CRM, data, cloud, and related tech while managing day‑to‑day IT operations in a fast‑paced NGO scale‑up.

You will define the tech roadmap, drive data governance, security, and incident response, and mentor a team of 9 FTEs and 6 contractors to accelerate the mission.

Qualifications

• At least 15 years' experience in technology with 5+ years of experience in managing and leading teams.
• Experience in Operational Technology environments is a plus.
• Working in a fast-growing, international scale-up.
• Excellent leadership skills, team player, coaching mindset and flexibility.
• Experience in Software Development and Software Development Lifecycle.
• Experience with Enterprise Architecture and/or Solution architecture
• Fluency in cloud and data platforms (AWS, Kubernetes), can challenge architectural decisions and ensure consistency throughout our developed solutions.
• Proven experience owning cyber risk and governance: translating risk appetite into controls
• Experience operating at and reporting into management-team / C-suite level, including strong change management skills
• Strong roadmap and strategic planning skills: defining, owning, and prioritizing a multi-year Software, Platform and IT roadmap in alignment with organizational goals.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the technology, platform, and data strategy in alignment with The Ocean Cleanup’s mission and business goals.
• Create and implement roadmaps for scaling our systems (ERP, CRM, cloud, collaboration tools) to enable agility, growth, and cross‑departmental efficiency.
• Prioritize investments in technology, justifying spend with clear, measurable outcomes tied to mission acceleration.
• Oversee the design and evolution of our IT infrastructure, ensuring reliability, security, and scalability for HQ and remote teams.
• Negotiate and manage vendor relationships to deliver best‑in‑class solutions for our needs.
• Implement disaster recovery and business continuity plans to safeguard mission‑critical operations.
• Lead the collection, storage, and analysis of data, turning it into high‑quality, actionable insights for research, modeling, and performance optimization.
• Develop and manage a portfolio of data applications, deciding when to build, buy, or outsource solutions.
• Implement data lakes, BI tools, and custom dashboards to track KPIs and drive data‑informed decision‑making.
• Establish and enforce Data Governance policies to ensure integrity, security, and compliance.
• Secure sensitive data (research, donor information, proprietary technology) against threats.
• Ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR, ISO 27001, and the EU AI Act.
• Lead incident response with clear communication plans to mitigate risks.
• Lead and develop a team of 9 FTEs and 6 contractors, creating a culture of innovation, collaboration, and mission‑driven execution.
• Hire, train, and retain top IT talent in a competitive market.
• Bridge the gap between IT and other departments, ensuring technology solutions enable rather than hinder their work.
• Deliver an innovative mindset in technological choices, aligning tools and processes with The Ocean Cleanup’s fast‑paced, impact‑driven ethos.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy & roadmap

Stakeholder management

Change management

Problem solving

Strategic thinking

Communication

Tools

AWS

Kubernetes

Job description

The Ocean Cleanup is seeking a Head of Technology, Data and Systems to own end‑to‑end technology strategy, shaping scalable, secure systems for HQ and remote teams in Rotterdam. You will lead ERP/CRM, data, cloud, and related tech while managing day‑to‑day IT operations in a fast‑paced NGO scale‑up.

You will define the tech roadmap, drive data governance, security, and incident response, and mentor a team of 9 FTEs and 6 contractors to accelerate the mission.