Senior Account Executive, Federal Defense and Intelligence

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?

As a Senior Account Executive at Cohere you will have ownership of the full sales cycle - from identifying leads to closing deals, with Defense and Intelligence customers in the United States.

In this role you will be focussed on business development activity within the Department of War, including Combatant Commands and some elements of the broader national security community.

We’re looking for an approachable and compelling communicator who loves working with operators and analysts to uncover their needs and feels comfortable developing tailored value propositions around how Cohere’s platform can help them drive mission outcomes. You’ll lay the foundation for Cohere’s growth by owning your territory and collaborating with teammates across Customer Success, Sales Development, Marketing, and Sales Engineering. You’ll be the voice of the field and help our Product and Engineering teams prioritize the Cohere roadmap with customer-centric care. In this highly self-directed role, you will thrive in a quickly evolving environment.

As a Senior Account Executive, you will:

• Drive net-new customer acquisition through targeted outbound activity, senior leader engagement, and relationship building across US Federal Defense and Intelligence organizations.

• Develop and execute a sales plan for the U.S. Department of War, Combatant Commands and other departments in national security.

• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to national security professionals and prospects by understanding their goals and shaping AI solutions that deliver measurable value

• Work closely with channel partners, particularly Distributors and VARs as well as major system integrators to scale outreach, accelerate adoption, and maximize customer success

• Leverage senior-level relationships with executives and government decision-makers to drive strategic opportunities and long-term partnerships

• Collaborate with Product and Engineering teams on strategic efforts to deliver enterprise and public-sector solutions

• Partner with SDRs and Marketing to drive top-of-funnel activity and overall territory growth

• Own the full sales cycle; including discovery, technical and business validation, proof-of-concept, procurement, and deal close within a team-selling environment

You may be a good fit if you have:

• 10+ years of direct public sector sales experience in the U.S. Defense and Intelligence communities, with a proven track record of closing $5M+ annual quotas.

• Deep knowledge of federal procurement cycles and decision-making processes, how to work with resellers, VARs and distributors.

• Established network in the D.C. metro area, including federal agencies, prime contractors, and industry associations (e.g., AFCEA, AUSA).

• Experience selling SaaS, AI/ML, or enterprise software solutions to government clients.

• High tolerance for ambiguity, you are both a strategist and a hands-on operator capable of building a market from the ground up

• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple internal and external stakeholders across fast-moving deals

• Creativity and strong technical acumen to structure unique, mutually beneficial partnerships

• Excellent communication skills, you listen deeply, understand what matters to senior decision-makers, and confidently present to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Must be based in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia with willingness to travel (25-35%).

Cohere is committed to fair and transparent pay practices. The salary range listed for this role reflects the expected base compensation. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

• A weekly lunch stipend of $75/£75 or equivalent in your local currency for lunch.

• Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget for mental health.

• RRSP matching, 401K, Pension Scheme.

• 100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months, for either parent.

• Annual enrichment benefits:

  Arts & culture, fitness/wellness, quality time, and a workspace improvement credit.

  Education & learning stipend for conferences, courses, and coaching.

• 6 weeks of paid vacation (30 working days!)

• Budget for traveling to other offices if you are remote, plus an annual company offsite.

• Cohere is remote-friendly, but we also have offices in Toronto, London, New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Paris, Berlin and Seoul with more opening soon.

• For those in the office: a daily lunch program, plenty of snacks, and regular community and social events.

• For those not near an office: a co-working benefit so you can work alongside others in your city.

• Everyone receives a $500 home office stipend to set up your workspace properly.

If any of the above doesn’t line up exactly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply.

We strive to create an inclusive work environment for all; we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to providing equal opportunities. Should you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please submit an Accommodations Request Form, and we will work together to meet your needs.

We may use AI-enabled tools to screen and assess applicants against the criteria for this position. This helps our recruiters identify potentially qualified candidates, but it doesn't limit the applications our recruiters may review or consider.

Beware of Scams: Cohere will never ask for payment or third-party services (e.g., CV writing) as part of our hiring process. All legitimate roles are listed on the Cohere careers page and LinkedIn only, with all communications from Cohere employees coming from an @cohere.com or @cw.cohere email alias. If jobs are viewed on other sites then please verify these through our official careers page.