Cynthia Ortega-Martijn  began her civil service career in Curaçao. She moved to Rotterdam, where she worked for the municipality on several projects. She was a the program manager for the project Veelkleurige stad on the themes of diversity policy and integration. Subsequently, she started her own agency: BeComU Advies, Training en Coaching, which focused on organizational, personnel and social issues. In 2003, she devoted herself to the Christen Unie, where she was a member of werkgroep Multicultureel. Between 2006 and 2012 she was a member of the Tweede Kamer, working on the portfolios Social Affairs and Employment, Interior and Kingdom Relations and Education. From 2016 to 2020, Ortega-Martijn served as interim transition manager/office manager at Stichting Ocan, where she was director from 2020 to 2022.