Head of Corporate Development

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!
As Cohere scales its enterprise AI platform and accelerates its position as a leader in sovereign AI solutions, we need a strategic Corporate Development leader to drive high-impact partnerships, M&A, and long-term business development. This role will focus on expanding Cohere’s ecosystem through strategic alliances, channel relationships, and targeted acquisitions that support our growth in regulated industries, government sectors, and global markets.

Key Responsibilities
M&A Strategy:
Evaluate and execute acquisitions or investments in complementary technologies that strengthen our core platform, particularly in compute infrastructure, specialized AI capabilities, and regulatory compliance tools

Lead due diligence processes with cross-functional teams to ensure technical integration feasibility and strategic alignment

Manage post-merger integration to maximize value realization and revenue synergies

Market Expansion:
Support entry into new verticals and geographies through targeted collaborations with industry leaders and government partners

Develop market entry strategies that address regulatory requirements and sovereignty concerns in key international markets

Create partnership frameworks that enable rapid scaling in high-growth sectors

Partner with sales and marketing teams to create joint GTM strategies that drive adoption and revenue growth

Cross-Functional Leadership:
Partner with product, engineering, and legal teams to ensure deals align with technical capabilities, ethical AI standards, and regulatory requirements

Collaborate with finance to develop robust financial models and valuation frameworks for partnership and M&A opportunities

Work with government relations and policy teams to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and secure strategic government partnerships

Strategic Partnerships:
Identify and negotiate transformative alliances with key players in our ecosystem, including telcos (e.g., Bell), hardware infrastructure providers (e.g., BUZZ HPC), cloud platforms, and government entities to accelerate Cohere’s go-to-market and sovereign AI deployment capabilities

Develop partnerships that enable on-premise and edge deployment solutions for customers requiring data sovereignty and regulatory compliance

Leverage relationships with enterprise software vendors and data platforms to enhance North’s enterprise-grade AI offerings

Qualifications
Experience:
12+ years in corporate development, strategic partnerships, or investment banking at a technology company, with proven experience in AI, SaaS, or enterprise software

Demonstrated success in closing partnerships and M&A deals that drove significant revenue growth or strategic market access

Experience with sovereign AI deployments, regulatory compliance (CTA, export controls), and government partnerships

Skills:
Strong negotiation and deal-structuring ability with experience in complex, multi-stakeholder agreements

Extensive network in AI/enterprise tech ecosystems, including telcos, hardware providers, and government entities

Analytical rigor with expertise in financial modelin