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 Data 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.
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
BenefitsBenefits
• 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