Lead, Government Affairs - APAC

Who are we?

Our mission is to scale intelligence to serve humanity. We’re training and deploying frontier models for developers and enterprises who are building AI systems to power magical experiences like content generation, semantic search, RAG, and agents. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI.

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. We like to work hard and move fast to do what’s best for our customers.

Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are passionate about their craft. Each person is one of the best in the world at what they do. We believe that a diverse range of perspectives is a requirement for building great products.

Join us on our mission and shape the future!

Cohere is a fast growing company in the extremely dynamic artificial intelligence space. We are building a Government Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) team that has the drive, and experience to engage in, and shape a nascent and unique policy environment for enterprise AI.

We seek a Government Affairs professional to lead our APAC government affairs strategy. Candidates will have a proven track record, are analytical, collaborative, driven, and possess a passion for the new and evolving public policy debate at the intersection of enterprise technology and artificial intelligence.

There’s no better time to join us in building this function as we shape the future of AI.

As our Lead for Asia Government Affairs you will:

• Partner closely with Cohere’s senior leadership, legal, public policy and responsible AI teams to develop, coordinate and implement a government affairs and stakeholder engagement strategy to advocate for responsible AI policies and related issues.

• Expand Cohere’s profile as the go-to thought-leader and industry partner of choice on issues relating to safe and responsible artificial intelligence policy, regulation and enforcement.

• Guide and coordinate Cohere’s political engagement in our priority markets in APAC by cultivating relationships, and represent the company with key government officials, lawmakers, regulators, and other third-party stakeholders to influence the development of artificial intelligence legislation, regulations and public policy.

• Work closely with public sector sales teams and in shaping technology policies in regulated sectors (such as banking, healthcare and others).

• Proactively monitor, report and work with cross functional teams to craft thoughtful responses to governmental initiatives and regulatory issues that may impact Cohere’s business or products.

• In collaboration with Cohere’s public relations and marketing teams, support effective messaging relating to Cohere’s position on artificial intelligence policy and regulation.

• Manage government relations consultants and trade associations.

• Ensure compliance of lobbying and political activities with local laws.

You may be a good fit for this career opportunity, if you have:

• Broad knowledge of technology policy and artificial intelligence, its application, and uses, and experience in understanding, debating, and shaping relevant policies and regulations in the region.

• Experience in building and leading a government affairs team, advising, and collaborating with cross-functional internal & external stakeholders.

• A strong aptitude to navigate intricate and fluid political and policy debates across jurisdictions, prioritize issues and distill key messages for a variety of audiences.

• A growth mindset, and a self-starter with the ability to work independently, and get things done.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to draft compelling policy documents, thought leadership content, and customer communications.

• 15+ years of proven leadership experience working with or in government, public interest groups, trade associations or corporate public policy organizations.

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Public Policy, International Relations, or a related field.

• Regional (Japan, Korea and/or Singapore) and multilingual experience is a must have.

If some of the above doesn’t line up perfectly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply!

We value and celebrate diversity and 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.

Full-Time Employees at Cohere enjoy these Perks:

🤝 An open and inclusive culture and work environment 

🧑‍💻 Work closely with a team on the cutting edge of AI research 

🍽 Weekly lunch stipend, in-office lunches & snacks

🦷 Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget to take care of your mental health 

🐣 100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months

🎨 Personal enrichment benefits towards arts and culture, fitness and well-being, quality time, and workspace improvement

🏙 Remote-flexible, offices in Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London and Paris, as well as a co-working stipend

✈️ 6 weeks of vacation (30 working days!)