Technical Program Manager (AI Delivery for Public Sector & Defence)

Join Cohere, a leading AI technology company, as a Technical Program Manager focused on Canadian public sector and defence accounts. In this specialized role, you will bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI capabilities and the unique needs of government and defence organizations. You will navigate complex procurement processes, stringent security requirements, and regulatory compliance while ensuring successful deployment and scaling of AI solutions. This position offers a range of benefits, including six weeks of paid vacation, equity options, and comprehensive health coverage.

• Assurer la livraison technique de bout en bout des programmes pour les clients du secteur public et de la défense au Canada, en naviguant dans les processus d'approvisionnement complexes et en respectant les exigences de sécurité.
• Servir de point de contact principal pour les programmes techniques, en établissant des relations de confiance avec les responsables informatiques et les équipes techniques des départements gouvernementaux.
• Traduire les exigences gouvernementales complexes en plans d'ingénierie réalisables, en communiquant clairement et objectivement avec les parties prenantes.
• This role requires eligibility for Canadian government security clearance
• 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
• However, we will also consider exceptional candidates who:
• 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
• Currently hold Secret clearance and are eligible for TS upgrade
• If any of the above doesn’t line up exactly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply
• Security Clearance: Active Top Secret clearance strongly preferred; candidates eligible and willing to obtain clearance will also be considered
• Working knowledge of or experience with modern AI: LLMs, agentic systems, MCP, RAG, fine-tuning, evals, and responsible AI would be a strong differentiator
• Familiarity with Canadian government requirements: data sovereignty, privacy laws (Privacy Act), accessibility standards, official languages obligations, security classifications
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management
• Deep understanding of how government organizations procure, evaluate, and deploy technology
• Eligible to obtain Canadian government security clearance (Top Secret preferred)
• Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder technical programs with stringent compliance requirements
• Comfortable discussing API integrations, model inference, data pipelines, and ML operations with technical stakeholders
• Experience with Algorithmic Impact Assessments or AI ethics frameworks is a strong asset
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; advanced degree or technical certs a plus
• Strong understanding of enterprise software deployment architectures (cloud, on-premises, hybrid, air-gapped)
• Experience working with government, defence, or heavily regulated customers (public sector, defence contractors)
• Understanding of defence and national security considerations in AI deployment
• 6+ years of experience as a customer-facing Technical or Engineering Program Manager in AI/ML consulting, technology transformation, or enterprise software delivery
• 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
• Project management certification (PMP, PgMP) or government-specific methodologies
• Experience with GC Cloud services (Azure, AWS GovCloud) or Protected B/C environments