Account Executive, SLED (AI)

TL;DR

Account Executive, SLED (AI): Managing the full sales cycle for State, Local, and Higher Education customers in the Western US with an accent on net-new customer acquisition and partnership scaling. Focus on driving strategic opportunities, leveraging SLED procurement knowledge, and shaping AI solutions for government agencies.

Location: On-site in the United States (Preference for candidates in California, Texas, Washington, Arizona, and Colorado; 25-35% travel required).

Salary: $230,000 – $430,000 USD (OTE)

Company

Cohere is a leading security-first enterprise AI company building foundation models and end-to-end products to solve real-world business problems.

What you will do

• Own the full sales cycle from lead identification to closing for SLED customers in the Western US.
• Drive net-new customer acquisition through targeted outbound activity and senior leader engagement.
• Develop and execute a strategic sales plan to scale growth regionally.
• Collaborate with channel partners, VARs, and system integrators to accelerate adoption.
• Partner with Product and Engineering teams to align the roadmap with public-sector needs.
• Coordinate with SDRs and Marketing to increase top-of-funnel activity.

Requirements

• 5+ years of direct public sector sales experience in the SLED market.
• Proven track record of closing $2M+ annual quotas.
• Deep understanding of SLED procurement cycles and reseller/VAR ecosystems.
• Existing regional network of state and local government agencies and prime contractors.
• Experience selling SaaS, AI/ML, or enterprise software to government clients.
• Must be based in the United States (California, Texas, Washington, Arizona, or Colorado preferred).

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive health and dental benefits, including a mental health budget.
• Retirement options including 401K and RRSP matching.
• Generous paid time off with 6 weeks of vacation.
• 100% parental leave top-up for up to 6 months.
• Professional development stipend for conferences and coaching.
• Weekly lunch stipend and home office setup credit.