Solution Engineer

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 ROLE

This is a technical role at the center of how we win enterprise deals. Our customers are technical suppliers: industrial, careful with their buying decisions, and often disappointed by software before. They don't decide based on a pitch. They decide when they see Mercura take one of their own messy quote requests and return a correct quote, on their data.

That is hard to do well. Real requests are unstructured, product catalogs are complex, and quotes run through ERP systems that every customer configures differently. A standard demo rarely survives the first real edge case.

So most enterprise deals come down to one question: can someone make Mercura work, credibly, inside this specific customer's setup? If this sounds exciting, this role is for you.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

You own the technical side of every major deal, from the first demo to a signed customer.

• Understand the customer's reality. Get into the customer’s actual workflows and identify the case that best shows what Mercura can do for them.
• Lead the technical conversation. Join sales conversations and be the credible counterpart on integrations, data, security, and architecture. Resolve the concerns that stand between the customer and a buying decision.
• Build the proof. Set up demos and proof-of-concepts on the customer's real data that you prepared and structured. Build prototypes for new features, and make customers feel that Mercura works in their own context rather than an idealized one.
• Feed insights back to the team. You're often the first to see why a deal stalls. Judge whether a customer request is demo-only, a quick customer-specific build, or something that needs core product and engineering - and translate that into clear, prioritized input for the team.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Strong communication in German (C2 or native level). You explain clearly, present well to senior stakeholders, and stay composed when a demo is tested in real time.
• You’ve worked for 1+ years in a technical or customer-facing technical role, where you have both built things and worked directly with customers - for example solution engineering, technical customer success, or technical consulting.
• You have technical understanding. You can reason about our customers' systems, integrations, and build a convincing, working proof yourself. You can write code in JavaScript and Python, are comfortable with APIs, and have a feel for integration architectures.
• You hear the real problem behind a customer’s request. You translate complex concepts for non-technical stakeholders, turn customer needs into buildable specs, and make abstract products feel tangible through demos that close deals.
• Commercial judgment. You read a room, identify the real blocker, how to speak a customer's language, and move deals forward.
• You want to work in an in-person, high-intensity environment in Munich

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. If this role excites you and you believe you could grow into it, we'd love to hear from you.

WHY JOIN MERCURA

• A foundational role. As our first Solution Engineer, you build the demo environment, the proof-of-concept approach, and the technical-sales motion, rather than inheriting them.
• Direct influence on the product. You sit one step from product and engineering, and what you learn in deals shapes what we build next.
• A large, underserved market. We automate the manual ERP work in a $12T+ industry that still runs on emails, PDFs, phone calls, and manual processes. The need is real, and the market is largely untouched by modern software.
• Real ownership and upside. You receive real shares in the company with voting rights, not just VSOP/ESOP.
• A strong team. Operators, ex-founders, and experienced engineers who set a high bar and support each other.
• A high-growth, high-commitment environment: We’re growing extremely fast because we always put our work and our customers first. If you excel in fast-paced settings and want to grow as part of something big from day one, Mercura is for you.
• Build something with real-world impact: We ship code that directly helps a massive, yet overlooked manual industry run more efficiently and sustainably.
• Build a category-defining company: Mercura has the potential to reach significance. As an early team member, you will have a direct, lasting impact on our culture, processes, technology, and product.

YOUR TEAM

• 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.
• Lars https://www.linkedin.com/in/lars-leinen/ (prev. Sales at Tacto, Consulting at OMMAX, FTE #2 at Econos)
• Kolya https://www.linkedin.com/in/kolya-krafeld/ (prev. SWE at SF-based startup Etleap)
• Nico https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-stabla/ (prev. Engineering at SaaS startups Luminovo & Fides)

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive compensation and meaningful equity (Real shares in our company with the most favorable tax treatment - no VSOP/ESOP)
• Learn to build a company: Over five Mercura alumni have gone on to found their own companies and raise millions after their time with us. At Mercura, you’ll take on real responsibility and gain the hands-on experience only possible in a high-growth startup.
• Fast career advancement opportunities in a rapidly growing team
• An ambitious and caring team that sees their work as more than just a job
• Free team dinner (up to 4x/week)
• UrbanSportsClub membership and access to a company bike - join our team workouts 3x/week
• Easy relocation to Munich - our office is located in the Werk1 Startup Incubator https://en.werk1.com/coliving-apartments-munich/, where you can rent an apartment close to the office for just €800/month
• Access to any AI or productivity tools you want

INTERVIEW PROCESS

• Intro call with one of the founders or the team.
• Practical exercise — a realistic deal scenario: scope a prospect's need and show how you would prove Mercura to them.
• On-site — a paid half-day with the whole team in our Munich office.
• Offer & reference checks — a strong fit receives an offer with a competitive compensation package and equity. We'll also ask for 2–3 references.

ABOUT THE FOUNDERS

We 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.

[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. 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.