Legal Project Internship (Document & Process Optimization)
The Ocean Cleanup
Legal
Posted on Jan 31, 2026
MISSION TO METRICS
The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. This is an opportunity to be exposed to the mission and work of The Ocean Cleanup. The internship allows individuals to support the Legal team’s daily operations and improve their legal skills while working in a dynamic environment.
This internship is an opportunity for students and/or young professionals who wish to gain practical educational work experience and deepen their legal knowledge. Interns will receive monthly compensation, as well as free and healthy lunches at our office.
RESPONSIBILITIES
As a Legal Project Intern (Document & Process Optimization) within the Legal Department, you will support and coordinate a key initiative to reorganize and optimize the legal team’s online document management system. You will work closely with legal staff to assess current file structures, design improvements, and help implement best-practice document organization. You will develop a clear structure and strategy for improving accessibility, consistency, and efficiency across all legal files. This includes analyzing the current file organization, proposing a new structure, and implementing the approved plan in close collaboration with the legal team. Additionally, you will work with the legal team in the migration of documents to new platforms.
This internship provides an opportunity to gain hands-on project experience, contribute to the enhancement of internal processes, and work within a dynamic, international environment.
This role focuses exclusively on document management and process optimization and does not include legal drafting or substantive legal advisory work. By the end of the internship, you will have delivered a clear, adopted file structure, documented best practices, and enabled the legal team to independently maintain the new system.
Main tasks: PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
ADDITIONAL NOTES
The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to develop and scale technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. This is an opportunity to be exposed to the mission and work of The Ocean Cleanup. The internship allows individuals to support the Legal team’s daily operations and improve their legal skills while working in a dynamic environment.
This internship is an opportunity for students and/or young professionals who wish to gain practical educational work experience and deepen their legal knowledge. Interns will receive monthly compensation, as well as free and healthy lunches at our office.
RESPONSIBILITIES
As a Legal Project Intern (Document & Process Optimization) within the Legal Department, you will support and coordinate a key initiative to reorganize and optimize the legal team’s online document management system. You will work closely with legal staff to assess current file structures, design improvements, and help implement best-practice document organization. You will develop a clear structure and strategy for improving accessibility, consistency, and efficiency across all legal files. This includes analyzing the current file organization, proposing a new structure, and implementing the approved plan in close collaboration with the legal team. Additionally, you will work with the legal team in the migration of documents to new platforms.
This internship provides an opportunity to gain hands-on project experience, contribute to the enhancement of internal processes, and work within a dynamic, international environment.
This role focuses exclusively on document management and process optimization and does not include legal drafting or substantive legal advisory work. By the end of the internship, you will have delivered a clear, adopted file structure, documented best practices, and enabled the legal team to independently maintain the new system.
Main tasks:
- Assess the current organization and categorization of legal files within the online document system (SharePoint, Board Portal Tool CML).
- Develop a comprehensive reorganization strategy and plan, ensuring alignment with legal team needs and compliance requirements for all the files.
- Implement the approved structure and assist with file migration and classification.
- Establish clear guidelines and best practices for future document management and maintenance.
- Coordinate with team members to ensure all files are accurately categorized and up to date.
- Support process documentation and prepare training materials for legal staff on the new system.
- Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program (preferably in Business Administration, Information Management, Archive or a related field).
- Basic understanding of legal documents and terminology.
- Prior experience with SharePoint or other document management systems.
- Excellent written and spoken English skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 tools (Word, Excel, Teams, OneDrive).
- Strong organizational and analytical skills with attention to detail.
- Solid project management abilities, capable of planning and executing tasks independently.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- A proactive and solution-oriented mindset.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, international work environment
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Start Date: ASAP - Please indicate your possible start date, duration, and hours per week.
- Duration: 3 months
- Candidates are expected to be available 24 hours per week throughout the duration of the internship.
- Candidates are expected to work from our HQ in Rotterdam at least 1 day per week.
- Candidates are required to be enrolled at a University throughout the duration of the internship
