Strategic Partnerships Manager - AI/API

Mercury is looking for a technically-fluent partnerships leader to own our presence in the AI and developer ecosystem. This isn't a traditional BD role and it's not a Developer Relationships role either, it lives at the intersection of both. You'll use a technical background to build credibility with developers and AI platform teams, then translate that credibility into deep, strategic partnerships that bring Mercury's financial infrastructure into the tools and workflows where the next generation of founders actually operate.

This is a Hunter role: identifying which AI companies, developer tools, and related AI ecosystem players Mercury should be embedded in, and then going out and making it happen. The best partnerships you close will feel less like vendor deals and more like co-building something new.

What You'll Do:

Hunt and close new partnerships

• Proactively identify, target, and close high-leverage partnerships across the AI and developer ecosystem: AI coding assistants, agent frameworks, MCP-native tooling, and developer communities
• Own the full partnership lifecycle: from sourcing and outreach through negotiation, integration scoping, and activation
• Build Mercury's presence in developer communities, attending and speaking at conferences, engaging in online communities, and becoming a known, credible voice in the AI/developer ecosystem.

Build the playbook

• Define and execute Mercury's go-to-market strategy for the AI and developer ecosystem, this is a category Mercury is still early in, so you'll have real ownership over how we show up
• Develop joint GTM plans with key partners, including co-marketing, co-sell motions, and integration launch strategies
• Feed insights from the developer ecosystem back into Mercury's roadmap and partnership strategy

Navigate the AI ecosystem

• Build Mercury's presence as a financial infrastructure partner in the AI-native landscape: MCP integrations, AI platforms, developer tools, and the growing universe of products being built on LLMs
• Position Mercury as the default financial layer for AI-native businesses and the platforms they're built on
• Identify where the next wave of distribution is forming before competitors do and place Mercury there.

What We're Looking For:

• You have a technical foundation. You understand how APIs work, can evaluate integration complexity, and speak credibly with engineers and CTOs, not as a builder, but as someone who deeply understands how things are built.
• You're a hunter. You don't wait for warm intros or inbound. You identify who Mercury should be talking to, find your way into the room, and drive toward a deal. You have a track record of sourcing and closing partnerships, not just managing existing ones.
• You're embedded in the developer world. You know the AI and developer ecosystem, the platforms, the communities, the influencers, the emerging tools. Developers and technical founders see you as one of them, not as a vendor.
• You think commercially. You understand what makes a partnership valuable, can structure deals, and push conversations from "interesting" to signed.
• You're a strong communicator. You can present at a developer conference, write a compelling technical post, and hold your own in a product meeting, often in the same week.
• You're entrepreneurial. You're excited to work with early-stage founders and AI teams who are still figuring out what they're building. You add value before asking for anything.

Nice to have: experience in fintech, developer-facing partnerships, Developer Relations, or solutions engineering at an API-first company.

&nbs