Customer Success Manager - Public Sector & Defense, France

Who are we?
Cohere is the leading security-first enterprise AI company. We build cutting-edge foundation AI models and end-to-end products that are designed to solve real-world business problems.
We’re training and deploying frontier models for enterprises who are building AI systems. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI and we are looking for folks that want to be part of that.
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. Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are all passionate about their craft.
We are a global technology company headquartered in Toronto with key offices in London, New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Paris, Berlin and Seoul. Join us!
Why This Role?
We're seeking an exceptional Customer Success Manager with deep expertise in the French public sector and government landscape to lead our most strategic government accounts. This role requires an individual who understands both the transformative potential of frontier AI and the unique requirements of French government organizations.

What You'll Do

Strategic Customer Partnership:
Own the success, adoption, and growth of Cohere's French public sector customers, ensuring they realize maximum value from our AI solutions

Build deep, trusted relationships with senior French government stakeholders, including Ministres d'État, Préfets, CIOs, digital transformation leads, and ministerial executives

Develop comprehensive success plans tailored to each organization's mission, digital strategy, budget cycles (lois de finances), and unique constraints

Serve as the primary point of contact and executive sponsor for your accounts, managing escalations and ensuring customer satisfaction

Define and track success metrics aligned with French public sector priorities: citizen satisfaction, service delivery improvements, cost savings, operational efficiency, accessibility outcomes

AI Adoption & Implementation Leadership:
Guide customers through the full lifecycle of AI adoption—from use case identification and pilot design through production deployment and scaling

Lead secure AI implementation projects in complex French government environments, including sensitive systems and on-premises deployments

Navigate the unique challenges of French public sector AI adoption: legacy system integration, data sensitivity, lengthy approval processes (marchés publics), and regulatory compliance requirements

Create and execute change management strategies to drive user adoption and value realization across diverse government workforces

Conduct regular executive business reviews with senior stakeholders, demonstrating ROI, impact, and strategic value

Drive contract renewals and account growth by consistently delivering value and building trusted relationships

Customer Advocacy & Product Influence:
Serve as the voice of the French public sector customers within Cohere, advocating for features and capabilities that address government-specific needs

Provide strategic feedback to Product and Engineering teams on requirements related to security, explainability, accessibility, French language support, and ethical AI

Contribute to the development of French public sector-specific offerings, implementation playbooks, documentation, and best practices

Share customer insights to inform Cohere's French public sector go-to-market strategy and positioning

Represent Cohere at French government forums, working groups (groupes de travail), roundtables, and industry events

You May Be a Good Fit If:

Required Experience:
8+ years of experience in customer success, account management, strategic consulting, or technology delivery roles within enterprise or French government contexts

At least 3-5 years working directly with French ministries, regional authorities, or public instit