Head of Partnerships - NEW

CONTEXTEvery day, millions of kilograms of plastic end up in nature. Plastics do not decompose and stay around forever, causing harm to people, animals and the environment. Our vision is to create a world in which rivers are free of plastics.

OUR STORY River Cleanup started in 2017 with a 10-minute cleanup and was founded in Antwerp in 2019 as a nonprofit organization. To date, we have activated +370.000 volunteers via +7.600 events in 102 countries, removed 3,9 million kilograms of river waste from nature and developed the Clean River Model as an open-source theory of change for plastic-free rivers. 

Through strategic and early interventions in the plastic lifecycle, we turn off the tap on new plastic pollution and permanently remove legacy waste on land and in rivers. The Clean River Model consists of 3 pillars (Empower people, Prevent pollution and Accelerate change) and 3 enablers (Assessment, Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation). Together, they encompass the entire lifecycle of river plastics. We are validating the Clean River Model in three action zones in 2025/2026 and will scale up the implementation to 100 rivers globally by 2030. 

YOUR ROLE The Head of Partnerships, together with the CEO and management team, leads efforts to secure revenue for Mission 2030 and is directly responsible for revenue from philanthropy, sponsorships and subsidies.  Reporting directly to the Founder/CEO, your tasks & responsibilities include: • Leading and developing the partnerships team, creating an environment where each team member can thrive and perform at their best; • Owning and driving the overall revenue and fundraising strategy (within annual plans and Mission 2030); • Overseeing the full partnership cycle (prospecting → pitching/applications → negotiation → closing) to ensure high-quality execution and strong outcomes; • Managing part of the strategic key accounts while supporting team members in managing and growing their partner portfolios; • Leading internal and external reporting on fundraising performance and pipeline development; • Driving effective cross-functional collaboration with programs, communications, and finance to enable partnership success; • Supporting and strengthening local fundraising efforts in core countries.

Success in this role looks like: • Achieving and growing annual partnership revenue in line with Mission 2030 ambitions; • Securing multi-year, high-value strategic partnerships across corporates, foundations, and major donors; • Building a high-performing partnerships team with strong ownership and accountability; • Increasing donor lifetime value through structured and high-quality relationship management; • Strengthening River Cleanup’s position as a trusted partner in the global fight against plastic pollution.