Customer Success Manager, Public Sector & Defence

WHO ARE WE?

Cohere is the leading security-first enterprise AI company. We build cutting-edge foundation AI models and end-to-end products that are designed to solve real-world business problems.

We’re training and deploying frontier models for enterprises who are building AI systems. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI and we are looking for folks that want to be part of that.

We obsess over what we build. Each one of us is responsible for contributing to increasing the capabilities of our models and the value they drive for our customers. Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are all passionate about their craft.

We are a global technology company headquartered in Toronto with key offices in London, New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Paris, Berlin and Seoul. Join us!

WHY THIS ROLE?

We're seeking an exceptional Customer Success Manager with deep expertise in the Canadian public sector and defence landscape to lead our most strategic government accounts. This role requires an individual who understands both the transformative potential of frontier AI and the unique requirements of government and defence organizations.

You will be the trusted advisor and strategic partner for Canadian federal departments, provincial agencies, Crown corporations, defence organizations, and healthcare systems as they navigate the complex journey of AI adoption. You'll guide organizations through the implementation of frontier AI in secure, highly regulated environments—ensuring solutions deliver a measurable impact while meeting stringent security, privacy, compliance, and ethical requirements.

In this role, you'll collaborate with our Strategic Customer team, Applied ML (AML) Engineering, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), Platform, Product, and Go-to-Market teams, serving as the voice of the customer internally and the face of Cohere externally for our most sensitive and high-impact government engagements. You'll have the unique opportunity to shape how Canada's most important institutions leverage AI to serve the public good.

Location: Ottawa (proximity to government customers) Security Clearance: Active Top Secret clearance is mandatory for this role

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Strategic Customer Partnership:

• Own the success, adoption, and growth of Cohere's Canadian public sector and defence customers, ensuring they realize maximum value from our AI solutions

• Build deep, trusted relationships with senior government stakeholders, including Deputy Ministers, CIOs, ADMs, digital transformation leads, and departmental executives

• Develop comprehensive success plans tailored to each organization's mission, digital strategy, budget cycles, and unique constraints

• Serve as the primary point of contact and executive sponsor for your accounts, managing escalations and ensuring customer satisfaction

• Define and track success metrics aligned with public sector priorities: citizen satisfaction, service delivery improvements, cost savings, operational efficiency, accessibility outcomes

AI Adoption & Implementation Leadership:

• Guide customers through the full lifecycle of AI adoption—from use case identification and pilot design through production deployment and scaling

• Lead secure AI implementation projects in complex government environments, including air-gapped systems, Protected B/C environments, and on-premises deployments

• Navigate the unique challenges of public sector AI adoption: legacy system integration, data sensitivity, lengthy approval processes, and risk-averse organizational cultures

• Create and execute change management strategies to drive user adoption and value realization across diverse government workforces

• Conduct regular executive business reviews with senior stakeholders, demonstrating ROI, impact, and strategic value

• Drive contract renewals and account growth by consistently delivering value and building trusted relationships

Compliance & Risk Management:

• Ensure all implementations meet Canadian government security protocols, including PBMM standards, security assessments, and authority-to-operate requirements

• Navigate privacy and compliance requirements: Privacy Act, PIPEDA, PHIPA, Access to Information Act, Official Languages Act, accessibility standards

• Lead or support Algorithmic Impact Assessments and responsible AI governance processes as required by Treasury Board directives

• Develop risk mitigation strategies for AI deployments in high-security, mission-critical, and citizen-facing contexts

• Coordinate with customer security teams, privacy officers, legal counsel, and compliance functions

Customer Advocacy & Product Influence:

• Serve as the voice of public sector and defence customers within Cohere, advocating for features and capabilities that address government-specific needs

• Provide strategic feedback to Product and Engineering teams on requirements related to security, explainability, accessibility, bilingualism, and ethical AI

• Contribute to the development of public sector-specific offerings, implementation playbooks, documentation, and best practices

• Share customer insights to inform Cohere's public sector go-to-market strategy and positioning

• Represent Cohere at government forums, working groups, roundtables, and industry events

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partner with Sales to support expansion opportunities, renewals, and new customer acquisition

• Coordinate with Solutions Architects and Forward Deployed Engineers on technical implementation and optimization

• Work with Legal, Security, and Compliance teams to navigate complex procurement, contracting, and regulatory requirements

• Collaborate with Marketing on thought leadership content, case studies, and public sector community building

YOU MAY BE A GOOD FIT IF:

Required Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in customer success, account management, strategic consulting, or technology delivery roles within enterprise or government contexts

• At least 3-5 years working directly with the Canadian government, defence, or healthcare organizations in a technology, digital transformation, or consulting capacity

• Proven track record of managing complex, strategic accounts with multiple stakeholders, long sales cycles, and multi-year implementation timelines

• Experience leading AI/ML, cloud, or enterprise software implementations in secure or highly regulated environments

• Deep understanding of how government organizations evaluate, procure, implement, and govern technology solutions

• Active Top Secret security clearance (mandatory)

Customer Success & Account Management Excellence:

• Demonstrated success driving customer adoption, expansion, and retention in complex enterprise or government accounts

• Experience developing and executing customer success strategies, QBRs, and executive engagement programs

• Track record of identifying and closing expansion opportunities within existing accounts

• Ability to manage multiple strategic accounts simultaneously while maintaining high-touch, personalized engagement

• Experience navigating organizational politics and building coalitions across siloed government departments

Public Sector & Defence Acumen:

• Comprehensive knowledge of the Canadian public sector ecosystem: federal departments, provincial ministries, Crown corporations, defence, intelligence, critical infrastructure, and healthcare

• Deep familiarity with government digital strategies, service delivery transformation, and citizen-centric design principles

• Understanding of public sector budget cycles, Treasury Board processes, government procurement frameworks, and contract vehicles

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and frameworks: Privacy Act, PIPEDA, PHIPA, Directive on Automated Decision-Making, Algorithmic Impact Assessments, accessibility requirements

• Experience with government cloud strategies and security framewo