Lead for Global External Affairs

TL;DR

Lead for Global External Affairs (External Affairs): Building and directing Cohere’s global external affairs function within Government Affairs and Public Policy, with an accent on defining a comprehensive global strategy and scaling third-party validation and coalition engagement. Focus on cultivating strategic partnerships across think tanks and civil society, convening key voices through roundtables and briefings, and aligning external policy narratives with enterprise AI, data privacy, and model safety.

Location: Remote (Washington, DC; Europe; London; Toronto)

Salary: $220,000–$330,000 USD (United States) or $250,000–$375,000 CAD (Canada)

Company

Cohere is a security-first enterprise AI company building foundation AI models and end-to-end products.

What you will do

• Define and execute a comprehensive global External Affairs strategy aligned with public policy and commercial objectives.
• Identify, build, and manage strategic partnerships with think tanks, academic researchers, civil society organizations, and NGOs.
• Drive third-party validation through thought leadership, research, and independent validation of Cohere’s approach to enterprise AI, data privacy, and model safety.
• Represent Cohere in industry coalitions, trade associations, and multi-stakeholder forums to shape industry consensus.
• Coordinate across GAPP, Corporate Communications, Legal, and Go-To-Market to ensure external partnerships drive measurable business impact.
• Convene key voices by organizing and hosting roundtables, policy briefings, and summits.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in external affairs, public policy, or strategic partnerships (ideally in a major technology company, trade association, or policy institution).
• Extensive, active network across think tanks, academic centers, and civil society organizations globally.
• Strong understanding of current global AI policy debates, including data governance, safety, open-source models, and enterprise adoption.
• Proven experience managing budgets for sponsorships, memberships, and grants with ROI and alignment to corporate policy goals.
• Exceptional ability to communicate complex technical and policy narratives to influential external audiences.
• Builder mindset to establish a new function from the ground up, including operational workflows and scaling.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in Public Policy, International Relations, Law, or related field.
• Experience navigating differences between consumer AI policy and enterprise/B2B AI policy.

Culture & Benefits

• Remote-friendly with offices in Toronto, San Francisco, New York City, London, Paris, Montreal, and more.
• 6 weeks of paid vacation (30 working days) and annual company offsite.
• Full health and dental benefits, including a separate mental health budget.
• Retirement benefits: RRSP matching, 401K, and Pension Scheme.
• 100% parental leave top-up for up to 6 months for either parent.
• Home office stipend ($500) plus lunch stipend and enrichment/learning benefits.

Hiring process

• Recruiter screening and assessment using AI-enabled tools to identify potentially qualified candidates.
• Interviews and evaluation against role criteria, with recruiters reviewing applications as needed.