Account Executive, SLED (US)

Cohere • San Francisco, CA

4d • $230,000 - $430,000 • Remote

About The Position

As an Account Executive at Cohere, you will own the full sales cycle, from lead identification to deal closure, specifically targeting State, Local, and Higher Education (SLED) customers in the Western United States. This role focuses on business development within government departments and agencies at the state and local levels, as well as higher education institutions in your assigned territory. We are seeking a communicator who excels at understanding SLED customer needs and crafting tailored value propositions around Cohere's AI platform to improve citizen outcomes. You will be instrumental in Cohere's growth by managing your territory and collaborating with teams across Customer Success, Sales Development, Marketing, and Sales Engineering. You will also serve as the voice of the field, influencing the Cohere roadmap with customer-centric feedback. This is a highly self-directed role within a rapidly evolving environment.

Requirements

• 5+ years of direct public sector sales experience in the SLED Market, with a proven track record of closing $2M+ annual quotas.
• Deep knowledge of SLED procurement cycles and decision-making processes, how to work with resellers, VARs and distributors.
• Established regional network, including state and local departments and agencies, prime contractors, and industry associations.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Preference given to candidates within California, Texas, Washington, Arizona and Colorado with willingness to travel (25-35%).

Responsibilities

• Drive net-new customer acquisition through targeted outbound activity, senior leader engagement, and relationship building across SLED organizations.
• Develop and execute a sales plan and prioritization for the SLED market in your territory, identifying pathways and partners to scale growth regionally.
• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to SLED customers and prospects by understanding their goals and shaping AI solutions that deliver measurable value.
• Work closely with channel and local 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.

Benefits

• 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.
• $500 home office stipend

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed