In this role, you'll collaborate with our Strategic Customer team, Applied ML (AML) Engineering, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), Platform, Product, and Go-to-Market teams, serving as the technical program lead and trusted advisor for our most sensitive and high-impact government engagements.
Location: Ottawa required
Security Clearance: Active Top Secret clearance strongly preferred; candidates eligible and willing to obtain clearance will also be considered.
What You'll Do
Customer Program Leadership
Own end-to-end technical program delivery for Canadian public sector and defence customers, from initial deployment through production scaling
Serve as the primary technical program point of contact for government customers, building trusted relationships with departmental CIOs, IT directors, and technical teams
Translate complex government requirements (security, compliance, accessibility, bilingualism, data sovereignty) into actionable engineering plans
Navigate government procurement processes, RFP responses, and contractual technical obligations.
Strategic Communication
Provide clear, timely, and objective communication across Cohere's engineering organization, customer stakeholders, and government leadership
Translate between AI/ML technical concepts and government-appropriate language for decision-makers who may not have deep technical backgrounds
Present technical roadmaps and status updates to senior government officials and departmental executives
Represent Cohere's technical capabilities in sensitive government and defence contexts.
Complex Program Management
Create and manage project schedules that account for government timelines, security review processes, and ministerial approval cycles
Identify and manage dependencies across government departments, security authorities, cloud service providers, and internal Cohere teams
Navigate risks unique to government deployments: privacy compliance, Algorithmic Impact Assessments, Treasury Board submissions, security authorizations
Drive alignment between product development priorities and specific government requirements.
Technical Delivery & Execution
Ensure on-time delivery of AI solutions that meet government-grade security, privacy, accessibility, and performance standards
Coordinate technical work across multiple teams: model customization, security hardening, integration with government systems, bilingual support
Establish governance checkpoints appropriate for high-stakes government deployments
Problem-solve complex technical challenges in air-gapped, on-premises, or highly regulated environments.
You May Be a Good Fit If
Required Experience
6+ years of experience as a customer-facing Technical or Engineering Program Manager in AI/ML consulting, technology transformation, or enterprise software delivery.
Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management.
Experience working with government, defence, or heavily regulated customers (public sector, defence contractors).
Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder technical programs with stringent compliance requirements.
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; advanced degree or technical certs a plus.
Technical Background
Strong understanding of enterprise software deployment architectures (cloud, on-premises, hybrid, air-gapped)
Working knowledge of or experience with modern AI: LLMs, agentic systems, MCP, RAG, fine-tuning, evals, and responsible AI would be a strong differentiator
Comfortable discussing API integrations, model inference, data pipelines, and ML operations with technical stakeholders.
Government & Defence Acumen
Deep understanding of how government organizations procure, evaluate, and deploy technology
Familiarity with Canadian government requirements: data sovereignty, privacy laws (Privacy Act), accessibility standards, official languages obligations, security classifications
Understanding of defence and national security considerations in AI deployment
Experience with Algorithmic Impact Assessments or AI ethics frameworks is a strong asset
Eligible to obtain Canadian government security clearance (Top Secret preferred)
Nice to Have
Active Canadian government security clearance (Secret or Top Secret) - strong preference for active Top Secret clearance
Bilingual (English/French) proficiency
Background in or strong familiarity with Canadian defence, intelligence, or critical infrastructure sectors
Experience with GC Cloud services (Azure, AWS GovCloud) or Protected B/C environments
Project management certification (PMP, PgMP) or government-specific methodologies.
Security Clearance Requirements
This role requires eligibility for Canadian government security clearance.
Strong preference will be given to candidates who currently hold an active Top Secret (TS) clearance, as this will enable immediate engagement with our most sensitive defence and national security customers.
However, we will also consider exceptional candidates who
Currently hold Secret clearance and are eligible for TS upgrade
Do not currently hold clearance, but are eligible and willing to undergo the Top Secret clearance process
Have a previous government security clearance that has lapsed
Please note that obtaining Top Secret clearance can take 12-18 months. Candidates without active clearance will work on non-classified public sector accounts while the clearance process is underway.
What Makes This Role Unique
This isn't typical program management—it's a highly specialized role at the intersection of frontier AI, national security, and public sector digital transformation. You'll work on some of Canada's most sensitive and impactful AI deployments, helping government organizations harness cutting-edge technology while maintaining the highest standards of security, ethics, and accountability.
If you're passionate about responsible AI adoption, understand the unique constraints and opportunities within government, and want to have an outsized impact on how Canada leverages AI to serve its citizens, this role is for you.
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.
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, but we also have offices in Toronto, London, New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Paris, Berlin and Seoul with more opening 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.
If any of the above doesn’t line up exactly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply.
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 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12a6IrLdF3kI2nonKSr4tiFuz18rLQbaeYV-JM9L4o9Q/edit, 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.
Beware of Scams: Cohere will never ask for payment or third-party services (e.g., CV writing) as part of our hiring process. All legitimate roles are listed on the Cohere careers page and LinkedIn only, with all communications from Cohere employees coming from an @cohere.com or @cw.cohere email alias. If jobs are viewed on other sites then please verify these through our official careers https://cohere.com/careers page.
