Senior Account Executive, Federal Defense and Intelligence

Cohere; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 230,000 - 430,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekly lunch stipend

Health and dental benefits

RRSP matching

401K / Pension

Parental Leave top-up

Education & learning stipend

Paid vacation (6 weeks)

Remote work / co-working stipend

Home office stipend $500

Job summary

Cohere is seeking a Senior Account Executive for Federal Defense and Intelligence in Washington, DC. You will own the full sales cycle from lead generation to closing deals with U.S.

government customers, focusing on Defense and Intelligence sectors and tailoring Cohere’s AI platform to mission outcomes. Ideal candidates have extensive public sector SaaS sales experience, deep federal procurement knowledge, and a strong DC network.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of direct public sector sales experience in U.S. Defense/Intelligence
• Experience selling SaaS/enterprise software to government clients
• Established network in the D.C. metro area with federal agencies and primes
• Strong understanding of federal procurement cycles and channel partners
• Ability to lead end-to-end sales cycles in a team environment

Responsibilities

• Drive net-new customer acquisition in U.S. Federal Defense and Intelligence sectors
• Develop and execute a sales plan for the Department of War and national security entities
• Act as trusted advisor to national security professionals and tailor AI value propositions
• Collaborate with channel partners (distributors, VARs, integrators) to scale outreach
• Own the full sales cycle from discovery to close, within a team-selling context
• Partner with SDRs and Marketing to grow territory and opportunities

Skills

Public sector sales

Defense & Intelligence domain

SaaS/enterprise software

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Territory ownership

Job description

Who are we?Cohere is the leading security-first enterprise AI company. We build cutting-edge foundation AI models and end-to-end products that are designed to solve real-world business problems.

Who are we?Cohere is the leading security-first enterprise AI company. We build cutting-edge foundation AI models and end-to-end products that are designed to solve real-world business problems. We’re training and deploying frontier models for enterprises who are building AI systems. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI and we are looking for folks that want to be part of that. 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. Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are all passionate about their craft. We are a global technology company co-headquartered in Toronto and San Francisco, with key offices in London, New York City, Montreal, Seoul, Germany and Paris. Join us!

Senior Account Executive, Federal Defense and Intelligence (Washington, DC)

Why this role?

As a Senior Account Executive at Cohere you will have ownership of the full sales cycle - from identifying leads to closing deals, with Defense and Intelligence customers in the United States. In this role you will be focused on business development activity within the Department of War, including Combatant Commands and some elements of the broader national security community. We’re looking for an approachable and compelling communicator who loves working with operators and analysts to uncover their needs and feels comfortable developing tailored value propositions around how Cohere’s platform can help them drive mission outcomes. You’ll lay the foundation for Cohere’s growth by owning your territory and collaborating with teammates across Customer Success, Sales Development, Marketing, and Sales Engineering. You’ll be the voice of the field and help our Product and Engineering teams prioritize the Cohere roadmap with customer-centric care. In this highly self-directed role, you will thrive in a quickly evolving environment.

As a Senior Account Executive, You Will

• Drive net-new customer acquisition through targeted outbound activity, senior leader engagement, and relationship building across US Federal Defense and Intelligence organizations.
• Develop and execute a sales plan for the U.S. Department of War, Combatant Commands and other departments in national security.
• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to national security professionals and prospects by understanding their goals and shaping AI solutions that deliver measurable value
• Work closely with channel partners, particularly Distributors and VARs as well as major system integrators to scale outreach, accelerate adoption, and maximize customer success
• Leverage senior-level relationships with executives and government decision-makers to drive strategic opportunities and long-term partnerships
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering teams on strategic efforts to deliver enterprise and public-sector solutions
• Partner with SDRs and Marketing to drive top-of-funnel activity and overall territory growth
• Own the full sales cycle; including discovery, technical and business validation, proof-of-concept, procurement, and deal close within a team-selling environment

You May Be a Good Fit If You Have

• 10+ years of direct public sector sales experience in the U.S. Defense and Intelligence communities, with a proven track record of closing $5M+ annual quotas.
• Deep knowledge of federal procurement cycles and decision-making processes, how to work with resellers, VARs and distributors.
• Established network in the D.C. metro area, including federal agencies, prime contractors, and industry associations (e.g., AFCEA, AUSA).
• Experience selling SaaS, AI/ML, or enterprise software solutions to government clients.
• High tolerance for ambiguity, you are both a strategist and a hands-on operator capable of building a market from the ground up
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple internal and external stakeholders across fast-moving deals
• Creativity and strong technical acumen to structure unique, mutually beneficial partnerships
• Excellent communication skills, you listen deeply, understand what matters to senior decision-makers, and confidently present to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Must be based in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia with willingness to travel (25-35%).

Cohere is committed to fair and transparent pay practices. The salary range listed for this role reflects the expected base compensation. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

For candidates in the US, the Compensation Range is: $230,000 – $430,000 [USD]

The figure above represents On-Target Earnings (OTE). Actual OTE will depend on individual performance.

Full-Time Employees At Cohere Enjoy These Perks

• A weekly lunch stipend of $75/£75 or equivalent in your local currency for lunch.
• Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget for mental health.
• RRSP matching, 401K, Pension Scheme.
• 100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months, for either parent.

Annual enrichment benefits: Arts & culture, fitness/wellness, quality time, and a workspace improvement credit. Education & learning stipend for conferences, courses, and coaching.

• 6 weeks of paid vacation (30 working days!)
• Budget for traveling to other offices if you are remote, plus an annual company offsite.

How And Where We Work

• Cohere is remote-friendly. We have offices in Toronto, San Francisco, New York City, London, Paris, Montreal, and more coming soon.
• For those in the office: a daily lunch program, plenty of snacks, and regular community and social events.
• For those not near an office: a co-working benefit so you can work alongside others in your city.
• Everyone receives a $500 home office stipend to set up your workspace properly.

We 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.

We may use AI-enabled tools to screen and assess applicants against the criteria for this position. This helps our recruiters identify potentially qualified candidates, but it doesn't limit the applications our recruiters may review or consider.