Head of Global External Affairs & Policy

cohere; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 330,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekly lunch stipend

Health and dental benefits

RRSP matching

Parental leave top-up

Enrichment benefits

6 weeks paid vacation

Travel budget & company offsite

Home office stipend

Job summary

Cohere is seeking a Lead for Global External Affairs to shape the external policy strategy and build strategic partnerships. You will work within the Government Affairs and Public Policy team to drive engagement with think tanks, academia, and civil society, scaling the function as Cohere's AI governance footprint expands.

You will define strategy, manage coalitions, and align internal teams to deliver measurable policy impact, with a focus on responsible, secure, enterprise AI.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in external affairs, public policy, or partnerships within tech/policy institutions.
• Extensive network with think tanks, academia, civil society, NGOs globally.
• Deep understanding of AI policy, data governance, safety, and enterprise adoption.
• Experience managing sponsorships, memberships, grants with ROI focus.

Responsibilities

• Define a global External Affairs strategy aligned with Cohere's policy goals.
• Cultivate relationships with think tanks, academia, civil society, NGOs.
• Drive third-party validation through experts and institutions.
• Represent Cohere in coalitions, associations, and multi-stakeholder forums.
• Coordinate with GAPP, Communications, Legal, and GTM for impact.
• Organize policy roundtables and briefs to shape global AI policy.

Skills

External affairs leadership

Public policy

Strategic partnerships

Policy advocacy

Budget management

Stakeholder engagement

Executive communication

Building new function

Job description

Cohere is seeking a Lead for Global External Affairs to shape the external policy strategy and build strategic partnerships. You will work within the Government Affairs and Public Policy team to drive engagement with think tanks, academia, and civil society, scaling the function as Cohere's AI governance footprint expands.

You will define strategy, manage coalitions, and align internal teams to deliver measurable policy impact, with a focus on responsible, secure, enterprise AI.