Growth Partnerships Lead

Mercor•San Francisco, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Mercor is at the intersection of labor markets and AI research. We partner with leading AI labs and enterprises to provide the human intelligence essential to AI development. Our vast talent network trains frontier AI models in the same way teachers teach students: by sharing knowledge, experience, and context that can't be captured in code alone. Today, more than 30,000 experts in our network collectively earn over $1.5 million a day. Mercor is creating a new category of work where expertise powers AI advancement. Achieving this requires an ambitious, fast-paced and deeply committed team. You’ll work alongside researchers, operators, and AI companies at the forefront of shaping the systems that are redefining society. Mercor is a profitable Series C company valued at $10 billion. We work in-person five days a week in our new San Francisco headquarters. As Growth Partnerships Lead you will build and scale Mercor’s external partnerships from zero to one. You’ll own the full lifecycle—from identifying opportunities and sourcing partners to negotiating contracts and managing long-term relationships. This role sits at the intersection of business development, data strategy, contracting, and stakeholder management. It is highly autonomous, deeply strategic, and intentionally scrappy. You will be trusted to figure things out, move fast, and create leverage where none exists yet.

Requirements

5+ years in Business Development, Strategic Partnerships, or Commercial Roles
Proven experience negotiating and closing contracts
Track record of managing high-stakes external stakeholders
Direct experience working with data products
Builder mentality: excited by ambiguity and 0→1 problems
Scrappy, resourceful, and comfortable doing unglamorous work early
Strong commercial instincts and negotiation skills
Clear, concise communicator with executive presence
Able to operate independently while partnering closely with internal teams

Nice To Haves

Experience in marketplaces, platforms, or high-growth startups
Exposure to data-driven products, AI, or technical stakeholders
Background working cross-functionally with legal and finance teams
Familiarity with compliance and data rights

Responsibilities

Build Partnerships from Scratch (0 → 1)
Identify, outreach, design, and launch new partnership models with external organizations, networks, and institutions
Test and iterate on partnership structures before scaling what works
Create early frameworks and playbooks where none exist today
Business Development & Deal Ownership
Lead outbound and inbound partnership conversations end-to-end
Qualify partners, define mutual value, and drive deals to close
Structure commercial terms that align incentives and support long-term collaboration
Contracting & Negotiation
Own negotiations across pricing, scope, timelines, and obligations
Work closely with Legal and Finance to move quickly without sacrificing rigor
Balance speed, flexibility, and scalability in early-stage agreements
Stakeholder Management
Act as the primary point of contact for external partners and senior stakeholders
Manage complex, multi-party relationships with clarity and credibility
Align internal teams (Product, Research, Ops, Legal) around partnership priorities
Operate Scrappily, Then Systematize
Start hands-on: build lists, run outreach, draft docs, close deals yourself
Identify patterns and convert them into repeatable processes over time
Help shape the tools, metrics, and systems needed as the function scales