Careers - The Great Bubble Barrier®

Our COMPANY

Join us on our mission

The Great Bubble Barrier is a fast-growing Dutch social enterprise located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. To keep our rivers free from plastic we always need talented, motivated pioneers which can support us in our mission. Are you ready to put your strengths to work and take on one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time?

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WORKING AT THE GREAT BUBBLE BARRIER

Who we are

Our drive comes from a deep love and respect for our oceans. We are sailors, surfers, divers. Whether it’s working on Research and Development of our Bubble Barrier technology, or finding creative ways to educate about plastic pollution and the need to stop it in rivers: we hire talent from all backgrounds to work together on that one mission. No worries if you aren’t a water sport enthusiast, we are dedicated to work on a diverse and inclusive team!

Inspired to work on a meaningful mission?

For all career opportunities and volunteer positions, visit our job openings.

see all vacancies

Our culture

Innovation

We strive to improve our technology and processes for the biggest impact possible. We stay on top of the latest developments in our field, following new research.

Collaboration

We support an inclusive space where everyone is encouraged to join the conversation, share their knowledge, and actively listen. You will collaborate closely with people from all different backgrounds and expertise.

Purpose driven

At the heart of everything we do is our commitment to stop plastic pollution in rivers before it reaches our oceans. We are sailors, divers, and surfers, all determined to protect the marine environments we love.

Our career opportunities

Project Communication Manager

32 hours per week
7 months contract – possibility to extend
Start date: March / April
Fluent in English & Dutch
Based in the Netherlands
EU working permit

More information about this job:

Help us protect our oceans and rivers from plastic pollution by getting Bubble Barrier projects off the ground. As a Project Communication manager at The Great Bubble Barrier, you will be working closely with clients, the MarCom team, and the project team to oversee and manage all communication and stakeholders’ activities for projects.

Why we exist

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. Even with an advanced waste infrastructure, canals and rivers still show a significant pollution with plastic. That’s why we created The Great Bubble Barrier.

Our mission is to stop plastic pollution in rivers and canals before it reaches our oceans… with bubbles! By recovering plastic debris early on, we minimise its negative impact on the environment.

Joining The Great Bubble Barrier means you’ll be joining our fight for cleaner oceans.

What will you do

As a Project Communication manager at The Great Bubble Barrier, you will be in charge of managing stakeholders, the communication and launch events of new Bubble Barriers that are being implemented. You will support the project manager managing expectations, preparing the agendas of stakeholder meetings and follow-up, craft a communication plan and lead its execution in close coordination with the MarCom and project team as well as the clients. You will be responsible for liaising with all stakeholders and executing on time and within budget. You will receive the support of the MarCom Director and project manager to achieve this.

Your Responsibilities

Organising Launch Event
- Planning and organising the openings of new Bubble Barriers in coordination with clients and project team
- Ensuring all tasks are executed on time
- Managing budgets
Stakeholders Management
- Holding & preparing meetings with main stakeholders and follow up
- Guiding them through the process and dealing with requests
- Engaging with Project Lead & MarCom Director
- Proactively support the Project manager in managing the project and reporting to the client.
Communication & PR
- Crafting communication plan for the opening of a new Bubble Barrier
- Briefing & directing video crew
- Writing Press Release and managing press, press days and interviews (national and international)

Skills & requirements

Bachelor or master’s degree in Business, Marketing or Communication (MBO or HBO)
+3/5yearsprofessional experience in organising events and dealing with various stakeholders
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Dutch (business level)
Structured and organised mindset
A team player who can take ownership of projects and tasks, strives for improvement, while collaborating and liaising with the rest of the team to manage interdependencies
You enjoy working in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams with the ability to work independently
Maintains personal effectiveness and people focus under pressure, high speed of change and uncertainty
An intrinsic motivation to solve plastic pollution!

What we offer

We are a young and fast-growing start-up dedicated to improving our rivers and oceans’ health. You’ll be joining us in our mission, working in a fun environment with a team of passionate and talented people.

Salary indication for this position is €2800 – 3500 gross (40 hours a week), + holiday allowance of 8%. The lower end of the range goes to those with less experience, the upper range goes to candidates with proven experience in this role.
Free lunch, social drinks & team events
Travel cost compensation (public transport)
20 holidays + 5 company closing days (based on 40h/week)
Employee discounts
Flexible work hours / working remotely possible
Room for your ideas/creativity

The Great Bubble Barrier is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity, regardless of sex, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and any other characteristics unrelated to the performance of the job. Selection will be in accordance with objective, job related criteria and the appointment will be based on applicant’s merits and abilities.

How to apply

Would this volunteer position suit you? Send us your resume and cover letter (in English) to hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com

Questions?

Visit our website for more information on The Great Bubble Barrier or get in touch at hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Internship: Researcher Awareness

3-6 months
Flexible hours per week
Start date: ASAP
Fluent in English or Dutch
Based in The Netherlands
EU work/student permit

More information about this job:

Help us protect our oceans and rivers from plastic pollution by conducting research. As a research intern you are the person that will bring valuable insights into our Bubble Barrier mission. You are a creative thinker who likes to put ideas into action, test your assumptions and validate your hypotheses with some hands-on experiments. Are you the intern we’re looking for? Then send us your CV and your motivation!

Why we exist

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. Even with an advanced waste infrastructure, canals and rivers still show a significant pollution with plastic. That’s why we created The Great Bubble Barrier.

Our mission is to stop plastic pollution in rivers and canals before it reaches our oceans… with bubbles! By recovering plastic debris early on, we minimise its negative impact on the environment.

Joining The Great Bubble Barrier means you’ll be joining our fight for cleaner oceans.

What will you do

With an internship at The Great Bubble Barrier, you will be a part of our dynamic team where everyone is dedicated to save our oceans from plastic pollution. Our mission is to implement more Bubble Barriers to stop as much riverine plastic pollution from flowing to sea.

But it doesn’t stop there. Just like Amsterdam, many cities cope with different challenges in the cities’ waters; plastic pollution, low oxygen levels, low ecological water quality, salination of waters and surrounding agricultural lands, and many more. Bubble Barriers are a possible solution to more than one challenge. Research on these added benefits still needs to be designed, needs experimentation, and could provide just the additional data needed to implement Bubble Barriers on a larger scale.

Besides the ecological benefits, our Bubble Barriers work as a tool to create awareness about plastic pollution and the need to stop it in rivers.

Your Research

Besides merely removing plastic from the water, we believe an installed Bubble Barrier provides more beneficial effects. One of these effects is the social impact a Bubble Barrier generates, e.g. the public awareness generated by the presence of a Bubble Barrier and the objects it catches. People or instances might talk about it more and/or adjust their behaviour due to visible measures. Since measures against plastic pollution are crucial for the future of our planet, we are interested in finding out how this awareness impacts a real-world situation. Our partners, like the City of Amsterdam and Water Management Board Amstel, Gooi en Vecht are interested in this effect. You will look for insights on this topic, perform field-experiments and conclude your findings in the form of a research project-report or a thesis. During this project, you will help answer the following questions:

- What is the current state of public awareness around the plastic pollution issue, due to visibility of measures (like the Bubble Barrier system in the Westerdok region of Amsterdam)
- How can awareness be increased?
- And what is the impact on policymakers, passers-by, or local citizens?

Skills & requirements

We are looking for a Bachelor student in the final year or a Master student with a background in sociology, psychology, marketing, planning or likewise.

You like to take initiative
You are flexible and enjoy challenges
You can work independently
You work in a structured manner and are able to present your thought processes to your team
You are vocal about the challenges you’re facing and actively seek help if you need it
An intrinsic motivation to solve plastic pollution!

What we offer

We are a young and fast-growing start-up dedicated to improving our rivers and oceans’ health. You’ll be joining us in our mission, working in a fun environment with a team of passionate and talented people.

Your internship will be compensated with €275,- per month.
Travel cost compensation (public transport).
Flexible work hours / working remotely possible.
Room for your ideas/creativity
Free lunch, social drinks, and team events

The Great Bubble Barrier is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity, regardless of sex, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and any other characteristics unrelated to the performance of the job. Selection will be in accordance with objective, job related criteria and the appointment will be based on applicant’s merits and abilities.

How to apply

Would this role suit you? Send us your resume and cover letter (in Dutch or English) to hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com

Questions?

Visit our website for more information on The Great Bubble Barrier or get in touch at hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Internship: Researcher Oxygenation

3-6 months
Flexible hours per week
Start date: ASAP
Fluent in English or Dutch
Based in The Netherlands
EU work/student permit

More information about this job:

Help us protect our oceans and rivers from plastic pollution by conducting research. As a research intern you are the person that will bring valuable insights into our Bubble Barrier mission. You are a creative thinker who likes to put ideas into action, test your assumptions and validate your hypotheses with some hands-on experiments. Are you the intern we’re looking for? Then send us your CV and your motivation!

Why we exist

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. Even with an advanced waste infrastructure, canals and rivers still show a significant pollution with plastic. That’s why we created The Great Bubble Barrier. Our mission is to stop plastic pollution in rivers and canals before it reaches our oceans… with bubbles! By recovering plastic debris early on, we minimise its negative impact on the environment.

Joining The Great Bubble Barrier means you’ll be joining our fight for cleaner oceans.

What will you do

With an internship at The Great Bubble Barrier, you will be a part of our dynamic team where everyone is dedicated to save our oceans from plastic pollution. Our mission is to implement more Bubble Barriers to stop as much riverine plastic pollution from flowing to sea.

But it doesn’t stop there. Just like Amsterdam, many cities cope with different challenges in the cities’ waters; plastic pollution, low oxygen levels, low ecological water quality, salination of waters and surrounding agricultural lands, and many more. Bubble Barriers are a possible solution to more than one challenge. Research on these added benefits still needs to be designed, needs experimentation, and could provide just the additional data needed to implement Bubble Barriers on a larger scale.

Your Research

Besides merely removing plastic from the water, we believe an installed Bubble Barrier provides more beneficial effects. One of these effects is the impact on the ecosystem through the oxygen a Bubble Barrier provides. Oxygen levels in water are crucial for a thriving ecosystem, thus we would like to investigate if there is a measurable effect of change in oxygen levels, if the oxygen levels in the waters are a direct result of the implementation of the Bubble Barrier and what the benefits of this effect can be. You will look for insights based on previously done measurements, perform additional measurements and conclude your findings in the form of a thesis or research project. During this project, you will help answer the following questions:

How does the Bubble Barrier in Amsterdam improve local water quality, e.g. increase dissolved oxygen levels?
And what does this do in relation to ecology (fish, small aquatic life, nutrients & algae, water plants)?

Skills & requirements

We are looking for a Bachelor student in the final year or a Master student with a background in (aquatic) ecology, land & water management, environmental engineering, biology, environmental sciences, earth sciences or likewise.

You like to take initiative
You are flexible and enjoy challenges
You can work independently
You work in a structured manner and are able to present your thought processes to your team
You are vocal about the challenges you’re facing and actively seek help if you need it
An intrinsic motivation to solve plastic pollution!

What we offer

We are a young and fast-growing start-up dedicated to improving our rivers and oceans’ health. You’ll be joining us in our mission, working in a fun environment with a team of passionate and talented people.

Your internship will be compensated with €275,- per month
Travel cost compensation (public transport)
Flexible work hours / working remotely possible
Room for your ideas/creativity
Free lunch, social drinks, and team events

The Great Bubble Barrier is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity, regardless of sex, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and any other characteristics unrelated to the performance of the job. Selection will be in accordance with objective, job related criteria and the appointment will be based on applicant’s merits and abilities.

How to apply

Would this role suit you? Send us your resume and cover letter (in Dutch or English) to hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com.

Questions?

Visit our website for more information on The Great Bubble Barrier or get in touch at hr@thegreatbubblebarrier.com

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Internship: Researcher Salination

3-6 months
Flexible hours per week
Start date: ASAP
Fluent in English or Dutch
Based in The Netherlands
EU work/student permit

More information about this job:

Help us protect our oceans and rivers from plastic pollution by conducting research. As a research intern you are the person that will bring valuable insights into our Bubble Barrier mission. You are a creative thinker who likes to put ideas into action, test your assumptions and validate your hypotheses with some hands-on experiments. Are you the intern we’re looking for? Then send us your CV and your motivation!

Why we exist

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. Even with an advanced waste infrastructure, canals and rivers still show a significant pollution with plastic. That’s why we created The Great Bubble Barrier. Our mission is to stop plastic pollution in rivers and canals before it reaches our oceans… with bubbles! By recovering plastic debris early on, we minimise its negative impact on the environment.

Joining The Great Bubble Barrier means you’ll be joining our fight for cleaner oceans.

What will you do

With an internship at The Great Bubble Barrier, you will be a part of our dynamic team where everyone is dedicated to save our oceans from plastic pollution. Our mission is to implement more Bubble Barriers to stop as much riverine plastic pollution from flowing to sea.

But it doesn’t stop there. Just like Amsterdam, many cities cope with different challenges in the cities’ waters; plastic pollution, low oxygen levels, low ecological water quality, salination of waters and surrounding agricultural lands, and many more. Bubble Barriers are a possible solution to more than one challenge. Research on these added benefits still needs to be designed, needs experimentation, and could provide just the additional data needed to implement Bubble Barriers on a larger scale.

Your Research

Besides merely removing plastic from the water, we believe an installed Bubble Barrier provides more beneficial effects. One of these effects is the prevention of saltwater intrusion. As sea levels rise along the coasts, saltwater can move onto the land. Known as saltwater intrusion, this occurs when storm surges or high tides overtop areas low in elevation, such as in the Netherlands. Saltwater intrusion is a threat to agriculture and biodiversity of inlands. Bubble curtains are already used for preventing saltwater intrusion. These specific bubble curtains are usually near the sea in deltas or estuaries, where our Bubble Barriers are often installed further inland. Higher salinity can still form a problem behind locks, sluices or pumping stations. You could find out whether or not, the Bubble Barrier has a reducing effect on salination, answering the following research questions:

What are the salination levels before and after the Bubble Barrier
What is (or could be) the minimizing effects on saltwater intrusion due to the installation of a Bubble Barrier?

Skills & requirements

We are looking for a Bachelor student in the final year or a Master student with a background in (aquatic) ecology, land & water management, environmental engineering, biology, environmental sciences, earth sciences or likewise.

You like to take initiative
You are flexible and enjoy challenges
You can work independently
You work in a structured manner and are able to present your thought processes to your team
You are vocal about the challenges you’re facing and actively seek help if you need it
An intrinsic motivation to solve plastic pollution!

What we offer

We are a young and fast-growing start-up dedicated to improving our rivers and oceans’ health. You’ll be joining us in our mission, working in a fun environment with a team of passionate and talented people.

Your internship will be compensated with €275,- per month
Travel cost compensation (public transport)
Flexible work hours / working remotely possible
Room for your ideas/creativity
Free lunch, social drinks, and team events

The Great Bubble Barrier is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity, regardless of sex, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and any other characteristics unrelated to the performance of the job. Selection will be in accordance with objective, job related criteria and the appointment will be based on applicant’s merits and abilities.