Government Affairs & Public Policy Manager – Canada

Cohere; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Cohere is seeking a Government Affairs and Public Policy professional in Ottawa. This role involves engaging with federal and provincial governments to shape AI policy. Ideal for early-career individuals passionate about politics and technology, offering exposure to seasoned leaders and impactful decision-making.

Benefits

Weekly lunch stipend

In-office lunches & snacks

Full health and dental benefits

Parental Leave top-up

Personal enrichment benefits

Remote-flexible work

6 weeks of vacation

Qualifications

• 5-7 years’ experience in government or public-sector consulting.
• Foundational understanding of Canadian federal & provincial policymaking.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement government affairs and stakeholder engagement strategy.
• Build relationships with government officials and track legislative developments.
• Support policy advocacy and procurement strategy.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Political Awareness

Intellectual Curiosity

Job description

Who are we?

Our mission is to scale intelligence to serve humanity. We’re training and deploying frontier models for developers and enterprises who are building AI systems to power magical experiences like content generation, semantic search, RAG, and agents. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI.

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. We like to work hard and move fast to do what’s best for our customers.

Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are passionate about their craft. Each person is one of the best in the world at what they do. We believe that a diverse range of perspectives is a requirement for building great products.

Join us on our mission and shape the future!

Why this role?

We are building a Government Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) team that has the drive and experience to engage in and shape a nascent and unique policy environment for enterprise AI.

As our first Ottawa‑based GAPP hire, you will bring a day‑to‑day presence with federal and provincial governments ensuring Cohere’s voice is heard as AI policy, procurement, and innovation agendas take shape. This is an ideal opportunity for an early‑career professional who thrives on politics, policy, and technology—and who wants a front‑row seat as Canada positions itself as a leader in AI. You’ll work alongside seasoned policy leaders, have direct exposure to executives, and see your insights shape national decisions.

In this role you will:

• Report directly to Cohere’s Lead for North America Government Affairs & Public Policy, partnering closely with Cohere’s senior leadership, legal, public policy and responsible AI teams to co-develop, coordinate and implement a government affairs and stakeholder engagement strategy with the goal to advocate for adoption-focused AI policies and related issues.

• Serve as Cohere’s eyes and ears in Ottawa, Toronto, and Beyond
  Build relationships at the working level and cultivate connections with ministerial/provincial staff, departmental officials, MPs’ aides, and public‑sector innovation teams to ensure Cohere is a trusted resource and partner.

  • Attend committee hearings, industry roundtables, and stakeholder events; track legislative and regulatory developments affecting AI, data, and digital procurement.

  • Coordinate cross‑functional input
    Work with Cohere’s GAPP, Legal, Responsible AI, and Public Sector Sales teams to surface insights, flag risks/opportunities, and align messaging.
    

• Support policy advocacy & procurement strategy provincially and nationally
  Help craft submissions, briefing notes, and talking points on AI and technology policy initiatives and procurement policy reform efforts.

  • Prepare summaries on emerging topics for senior leadership; develop a tracker of key programs and consultations.

  • Ensure compliance by supporting accurate lobbying registrations and reporting under the Lobbying Act and related provincial/territorial rules.

You could be a great fit if you have…

• 5-7years’ experience in government, a minister’s or MP’s office, public‑sector consulting, industry association, or corporate GR/policy role—ideally with exposure to tech, innovation, or procurement files. You must have the ability to register to lobby at the federal level with the Commissioner of Lobbying.
  

• Foundational understanding of Canadian federal & provincial policymaking—how bills move, how Treasury Board and Public Services & Procurement Canada operate, and the role of political staff.
  

• Strong written & verbal communication—able to distill complex issues into crisp memos and to build rapport quickly with officials and colleagues.
  

• Bias for action & intellectual curiosity—you’re motivated to figure things out, ask good questions, and push projects over the finish line.
  

• Collaborative mindset—comfortable working across time zones with teammates in Toronto, WashingtonDC, and abroad.
  

• Passion for AI and emerging tech—you don’t need to be an engineer, but you should be excited by the policy challenges and economic potential of enterprise AI.
  

Nice to have (but not required):

• Experience supporting government procurement or public‑sector sales teams.
  

• Familiarity with copyright, privacy, or data governance debates in Canada.
  

• French language skills.
  

If some of the above doesn’t line up perfectly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply! If you want to work really hard on a glorious mission with teammates that want the same thing, Cohere is the place for you.

We value and celebrate diversity and 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.

Full-Time Employees at Cohere enjoy these Perks:

An open and inclusive culture and work environment

Work closely with a team on the cutting edge of AI research

Weekly lunch stipend, in-office lunches & snacks

Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget to take care of your mental health

100% Parental Leave top-up for 6 months for employees based in Canada, the US, and the UK

Personal enrichment benefits towards arts and culture, fitness and well-being, quality time, and workspace improvement

Remote-flexible, offices in Toronto, New York, San Francisco and London and co-working stipend

️ 6 weeks of vacation

Note: This post is co-authored by both Cohere humans and Cohere technology.