Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

Cohere; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Open and inclusive culture

Weekly lunch stipend

Full health and dental benefits

100% Parental Leave top-up

6 weeks of vacation

Job summary

Cohere is looking for a Chief Information Security Officer to lead security strategy and governance. You will build trust across teams, ensuring security and innovation coexist.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in high-growth tech, cloud security, and risk management. Cohere offers a hybrid work environment along with generous benefits such as 6 weeks of vacation and full health coverage.

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a CISO or SVP of Security in high-growth tech organizations.
• Experience leading large-scale security organizations and managing budgets.
• Expertise in cloud security, governance, and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute Cohere's information security strategy.
• Lead risk and compliance programs across all business functions.
• Build high-performing security teams and foster a security-minded culture.

Skills

Cloud security

DevSecOps

AI/ML security

Risk management

Communication

Education

Advanced degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Location

Toronto; London; Montreal; New York; San Francisco

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Hybrid

Department

Platform, Security

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!

The Opportunity

Cohere seeks a Chief Information Security Officer who can help shape Cohere’s security strategy & the broader conversation around securing AI at scale. You know how to build trust across organizations and communicate trade-offs clearly in environments where speed, innovation, and security must coexist. You will build the playbook and lead the evolution of Cohere’s global security program across corporate systems, cloud infrastructure, AI development, and enterprise operations. As a visible leader for Cohere’s security vision internally and externally you will navigate risk, represent Cohere in industry discussions, and reinforcing our commitment to building AI responsibly.

In this role you will:

• Define and Scale Cohere’s Security Strategy: Define and execute Cohere’s overarching information security strategy in alignment with business priorities and long-term company growth.

• Build a Modern Risk, Governance & Compliance Program: Lead Cohere in identifying, assessing, and mitigating security risk across all business functions.

• Secure AI Systems and Technical Infrastructure: Lead the security architecture strategy across Cohere’s cloud and on-premises environments, ensuring resilient, scalable, and secure systems across the organization.

• Lead Through Influence, Communication & Culture: Build and lead high-performing security teams across multiple disciplines while fostering a strong security-minded culture throughout the organization.

• Enable Secure AI Adoption and Customer Trust: Partner with product, modelling, and engineering teams to support the secure development and deployment of AI systems and enterprise solutions.

This career opportunity may be a good match for you if you possess the following:

• A proven track record as a CISO or SVP of Security in high-growth technology organizations — ideally companies building or deploying AI systems at scale.

• Strong experiences developing and executing enterprise security programs coupled with experience scaling security capabilities alongside company growth.

• Deep expertise across cloud security, DevSecOps, enterprise infrastructure, and AI/ML security, alongside strong familiarity with modern regulatory frameworks, governance expectations, and compliance requirements.

• Experience operating within public company environments and an understanding of the complexities of cybersecurity governance, enterprise risk management, audit readiness, and SEC disclosure expectations.

• Experience preparing organizations for IPO readiness and scaling security programs through periods of rapid growth is highly valuable.

• Experience leading large-scale security organizations, managing budgets, and building strong teams across multiple security disciplines.

• An advanced degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field is preferred.

If some of the above doesn’t line up perfectly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply!

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 up to 6 months
• 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, London and Paris, as well as a co-working stipend
• 6 weeks of vacation (30 working days!)