Senior Account Executive - UK Public Sector (Defense and Intelligence)

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!

Why this role?

In this role, you will have ownership of the full sales cycle - from identifying leads to closing deals with Global 2000, large enterprises. We’re looking for an approachable and compelling communicator who loves working with prospects to uncover their needs and feels comfortable developing tailored value propositions around how Cohere’s platform can help them achieve their business goals. You’ll lay the foundation for Cohere’s growth by owning your territory and collaborating with teammates across customer success, sales development, marketing, and solution architecture. You’ll be the voice of the field and help our product and engineering teams prioritize the Cohere roadmap with customer-centric care. It’s a highly self-directed role, so you should be someone who thrives in an unstructured and quickly evolving environment. And your opportunity for impact will be astronomical — Cohere has skies-the-limit potential, and you’ll help us reach it.

Senior Account Executive - UK Public Sector (Defense and Intel)

Location: London/South East England (Remote Flexible) | Department: Sales

About the Role

Cohere is seeking a seasoned Defence & Intelligence Account Executive to drive strategic sales within the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Intelligence Community, and allied defence contractors. This role requires deep expertise in the UK’s defence procurement landscape, security clearance processes, and the ability to position Cohere’s AI solutions as critical enablers for national security missions. Based in or near London, the candidate will leverage their network in the defence ecosystem to secure high-impact deals.

Key Responsibilities

• Territory Ownership: Develop and execute a sales strategy for UK Defence and Intelligence agencies, including MoD, GCHQ, MI5/MI6, and key primes (e.g., BAE Systems, Thales).

• Relationship Building: Cultivate trusted partnerships with senior stakeholders, programme managers, and procurement leads in the defence and intelligence sectors.

• Procurement Navigation: Master UK defence contracting frameworks (e.g., LinkUP, G-Cloud, DOS), security clearance requirements (SC/DV), and compliance standards (Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001).

• Solution Alignment: Tailor Cohere’s AI platform to address mission-critical needs such as threat analysis, predictive maintenance, and secure data interoperability.

• Pipeline Management: Forecast accurately, manage RFIs/RFPs, and collaborate with legal, security, and technical teams to win complex deals.

• Market Intelligence: Monitor defence spending priorities (e.g., AI Strategy, Future Soldier Programme) and competitor activity to refine sales approaches.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of direct sales experience in UK Defence or Intelligence sectors, with a proven track record of closing £3M+ annual quotas.

• Established network within MoD, intelligence agencies, or Tier 1 defence contractors.

• Deep understanding of UK defence procurement cycles, security protocols, and contract vehicles.

• Experience selling SaaS, AI/ML, or enterprise software into high-security environments.

• Location: Based in London or South East England; remote work considered for exceptional candidates with strong regional ties.

• Security Clearance: Active SC/DV clearance or ability to obtain one.

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!)