Lead, Global External Affairs

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! Why this role? Shaping the future of enterprise AI requires engaging beyond direct legislative advocacy. Leading technology and AI companies understand that long-term policy success relies on building a robust ecosystem of third-party validators, thought leaders, and strategic alliances. As the Lead for Global External Affairs, you will build and direct this critical function within our Government Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) team. You will be responsible for defining how Cohere engages with the broader policy ecosystem, including think tanks, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and industry coalitions. As the function grows, you will also have the opportunity to scale the team around public affairs and policy narratives. Your work will ensure that Cohere's narrative around responsible, secure, and highly effective enterprise AI is validated, amplified, and understood by the most influential voices shaping global technology policy. In this role you will: Define the Strategy: Build and execute a comprehensive global External Affairs strategy that aligns with and amplifies Cohere’s broader public policy and commercial objectives. Cultivate Strategic Partnerships: Identify, build, and manage deep relationships with leading technology policy think tanks, academic researchers, civil society organizations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Drive Third-Party Validation: Partner with external experts and institutions to generate thought leadership, research, and independent validation of Cohere’s approach to enterprise AI, data privacy, and model safety. Manage Coalitions & Associations: Serve as Cohere's primary representative on key industry coalitions, trade associations, and multi-stakeholder forums, ensuring our unique enterprise perspective shapes broader industry consensus. Align Internal Stakeholders: Work seamlessly across the GAPP, Corporate Communications, Legal, and Go-To-Market teams to ensure our external partnerships and investments are driving measurable impact for the business. Convene Key Voices: Organize and host high-level roundtables, policy briefings, and summits that position Cohere as a central convener in the global AI policy debate. You could be a great fit if you have… External Affairs Leadership: 10+ years of experience in external affairs, public policy, or strategic partnerships, ideally within a major technology company, leading trade association, or prominent policy institution. Deep Ecosystem Network: An extensive, active network of relationships across major think tanks, academic centers, and civil society organizations globally. Tech & AI Policy Acumen: A sophisticated understanding of the current global debates surrounding artificial intelligence, including data governance, safety, open-source models, and enterprise adoption. Strategic Investment Mindset: Proven experience managing budgets for sponsorships, memberships, and grants, ensuring ROI and alignment with corporate policy goals. Exceptional Communication: The ability to persuasively articulate complex technical and policy narratives to highly influential external audi