Posted Jan 8

Founding People & Talent Lead

Munich, GermanyOn-site

Responsibilities

- Build Mercura’s network in the ecosystem: Grow our presence in the DACH startup and technical talent scene.
Build relationships with top universities, host high-quality events, and create a warm network of outstanding operators, engineers, and commercial talent.

This is a founding role for someone who wants to build the Talent & People function of a high-growth AI company from the ground up.
You enjoy working with people, convincing them, and building long-term networks - Daily use of AI tools and curiosity to experiment with new workflows - Fluency in English, German is a plus Note: Studies show that men often apply when they meet only part of the criteria, while women and marginalized groups tend to wait until they meet every requirement.
With his background as a Data Scientist at Allianz and at Google in Silicon Valley, he brings extensive expertise in data and AI.
Lukas’ family has been active in the construction industry for over 100 years, giving him a deep understanding and passion for the sector's specific needs.
As a top 0.01% physicist, Sean earned a Silver medal for Germany at the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), began researching with the Max Planck Institute at the age of 16, and has since published at leading machine learning conferences.
experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Business School to develop innovative solutions for the industry.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR - 2–5 years of experience, with meaningful time spent in Talent, Performance, or org development topics in a high-growth environment such as a top startup or scaleup. - A very high bar for great people.

We started with one of their biggest bottlenecks - turning messy technical requests into accurate quotes - and grew to $2M ARR in our first year.
With a team of 16, we're now targeting $10M by the end of 2026 as well as our expansion into the US.
- Shape the people system as we scale: Work closely with the founders on performance calibrations, feedback rhythm, career progression, compensation benchmarking, and more.
Offer & reference checks — If we see a great fit, you will get an offer from us, including a competitive compensation package with equity participation.

YOUR TEAM & MENTORS You will work with - Lukas https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukas-bock/ — Co-Founder & CEO; ex-Google, research in Cambridge; his family has been in construction for over 100 years.
- Stefan https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan-zheng/ — Co-Founder & CPO; ex-Bain & Company, research at MIT and Harvard Business School.
- Sean https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-sdahl/ — Co-Founder & CTO; Silver Medallist for Germany at the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), Max Planck research at 16.
- Annabell https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabell-vacano/ — Chief of Staff; Ex-Founder of Atopia Space; built VR/XR experiences with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and 20+ cultural institutions.
Mentors: - Julian Borg https://www.linkedin.com/in/madrzak/ (Co-Founder & CPO Remberg) - Mario Espindola https://www.linkedin.com/in/marioespindola (Senior Director Talent & Operations at SignalFire) ABOUT THE PROCESS 1.
Beyond Mercura, we actively support initiatives that promote diversity and gender equity and commit a portion of our personal income each year to organizations expanding opportunity for others. [https://app.ashbyhq.com/api/images/user-content/aea8071f-e224-4680-b825-9d15c5a9df28/8836b971-88e3-4b84-bebc-66dc92a82ee7/founders-1-2%20(1).jpg] OUR COMPANY VALUES Customer first.

Mercura (YC W25) helps the companies that build the real world move at software speed, automating the back-office work that runs the $12 trillion industry behind every hospital, school, and power plant.
ABOUT THE ROLE None of this can happen without the right people.
We're 16 today, on our way to 50 - which means the people we hire over the next year will decide whether Mercura wins the market and reaches global scale.
At this stage, talent is the single most important lever we have.
As our Founding People & Talent Lead, you will build Mercura’s hiring engine from scratch.
You’ll own how we hire from day one, and help build how we onboard, develop, retain, and get the best out of the team as we scale.
At first, ~80% of your focus will sit on Talent (where the real gap and biggest immediate impact are biggest).
Over time, you will spend increasing time in the People function.
If you're someone with high agency who thrives in ambiguity, loves finding and closing exceptional people, and wants to leave a real mark on a company early, then this is your opportunity.
WHAT YOU WILL BE WORKING ON - Build & own the full hiring engine: Lead recruiting end-to-end across all teams, from role definition and sourcing to closing exceptional candidates.