Sales Lead

Job description

# **About Mercor** Mercor's mission is to organize human intelligence to power the AI economy. We're a leading AI data company, building the layer between human expertise and frontier models. Millions of domain experts on the platform are paid over $4 million per day to train frontier AI models. Mercor's APEX benchmark family measures AI's real-world impact on professional work. Mercor Enterprise brings this same infrastructure to Fortune 500 companies: helping companies capture how their best people actually work, translating that expertise directly back into agents. 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 San Francisco, NYC, or London offices. ## **About the Role** As **Sales 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. ## **What You’ll Do** - **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 ## **What We’re Looking For** - **Experience** - 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** - **Mindset & Skills** - 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 Have** - 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 ## **Benefits** - Bi-annual performance bonus structure - Generous equity grant vested over 4 years - Up to $15k Relocation bonus - $10K housing bonus (if you live within 0.5 miles of our office) - $1.5K monthly stipend for meals - Free Equinox membership - $200 monthly laundry reimbursement - $200 monthly personal wellness reimbursement - Health, Dental, Vision insurance