Founding People & Talent Lead

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. 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.About the roleNone 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.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. 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 onBuild & own the full hiring engine: Lead recruiting end-to-end across all teams, from role definition and sourcing to closing exceptional candidates.Make Mercura a talent magnet: Build an employer brand that makes the strongest people in DACH and beyond feel that Mercura is the place where they belong.Scale the recruiting machine: Create the processes, analytics, workflows, and operating rhythm behind hiring.Be a true sparring partner to the founders and team leads: Help define what great looks like for every role, challenge org design, sharpen talent planning, calibrate hiring decisions, and push back when the bar starts to slip.Shape the people system as we scale: Work closely with the founders on performance calibrations, feedback rhythm, career progression, compensation benchmarking, and more.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.Who we’re looking for2–5 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. You know what excellence looks like and do not lower the standardStructured thinking and raw execution speed. You can design the system and run it yourselfStrong storytelling and relationship-building skills. You enjoy working with people, convincing them, and building long-term networksDaily use of AI tools and curiosity to experiment with new workflowsFluency in English, German is a plusNote: 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. If this role excites you and you believe you could grow into it, we’d love to hear from you.Why MercuraOwn one of the highest-leverage roles in the company: Talent is the single largest scaling bottleneck we currently face, and your work will be instrumental to our success.Work directly with the founders: You will have a voice in all strategic hiring decisions. You get to challenge, not just execute.Own Talent & People as Mercura scales: This role starts where the biggest impact is: hands-on recruiting. But if you build it well, your scope grows with the company into onboarding, development, performance, retention, and culture. You are joining to build and lead the entire function.Build for a market most people underestimate: We automate work in a $12T+ industry that still runs on emails, PDFs, phone calls, and manual ERP processes. The pain is real, the market is huge, and modern software has barely touched it.Get real ownership and upside: You will receive real shares in the company with voting rights, not just VSOP/ESOP. If Mercura wins, the people who join early will participate in that outcome.In-office energy in an ambitious and caring team: Your future colleagues are operators, ex-founders, Science Olympiad medallists, and top graduates from places such as Google, MIT, TUM, Harvard, CDTM, and Cambridge. We bring extraordinary people together and deeply invest in your growth as your mentors, teammates and friends. We care, trust, and support one another, and we make sure that fun is at the heart of everything we do.Your team & mentors You will work withLukas — Co-Founder & CEO; ex-Google, research in Cambridge; his family has been in construction for over 100 years.Stefan — Co-Founder & CPO; ex-Bain & Company, research at MIT and Harvard Business School.Sean — Co-Founder & CTO; Silver Medallist for Germany at the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), Max Planck research at 16.Annabell — 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 (Co-Founder & CPO Remberg)Mario Espindola (Senior Director Talent & Operations at SignalFire)About the processStep 1: Intro Call with Annabell Vacano (Chief of Staff): A short first conversation to get to know each other and share more about Mercura.Step 2: Technical Discussion with Stefan Zheng (Co-Founder & CPO): A deeper conversation about your experience, approach, and fit for the role.Step 3: Take-Home & Case Discussion: You’ll prepare a practical case exercise and discuss your approach with Julia and Stefan.Step 4: Onsite: Join us in our Munich office to meet the team and experience our working style.Step 5: Offer: If there is a strong mutual fit, we’ll make you an offer. At the same time, we’ll ask you to provide 2–3 references.About the FoundersWe are Lukas, Stefan & Sean, the co-founders of Mercura. We share a deep commitment to excellence and the discipline to pursue what others might consider impossible. Two of us come from non-academic families, and we all know what it means to create our own paths and overcome barriers. This experience shapes our belief in equal opportunity and fuels our dedication to social mobility.Lukas (left) is responsible for business development at Mercura. 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.Sean (middle) is responsible for technical development at Mercura. 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. Stefan (right) leads product development at Mercura. Previously, he worked in management consulting at Bain & Company, where he helped manufacturers improve their operations. Stefan leverages his research experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard Business School to develop innovative solutions for the industry.At Mercura, we believe that the best ideas emerge when people from different backgrounds collaborate together. We hire based on ability, mindset, and values, and we live by one simple rule: the best idea wins.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. Our company valuesCustomer first. We stay close to our customer’s reality and use their feedback to build what truly matters and earn their lasting trust.Ownership. We take responsibility end-to-end and act proactively to pursue the most ambitious goals.Enjoy the ride. We build a culture where people can be themselves, have fun doing meaningful work, and celebrate wins along the way.Let the best ideas win. We challenge each other respectfully and judge ideas by merit, not who said it.Down-to-earth. We are approachable, humble, and hands-on, bringing both heart and mind to everything we do.