Braun Board

VP of Sales - Public Sector

Cohere · Remote · Canada

Base
Not disclosed
OTE
$560K–$675K
Posted
7d ago

Still open · checked 1h agoon Cohere's careers page

What Cohere sells

AI that runs on a company's own servers

Big companies want to use AI, but they worry about where their private information ends up and who can see it. Cohere builds AI models that can run on a company's own servers or inside its own country. The company gets the AI help while its data stays under its control.

In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell us

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The Braun Read

Worth a look

Solid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.

Pay
OTE is listed. Ask what the base is.
Transparency
Says nothing about quota, attainment, deal size, territory or sales cycle.
Pipeline
Mostly self-sourced. Great if you like outbound, rough if you don't.
Time on market
Open 6 days.
Company hiring
9 sales roles open, hiring at a steady pace.

Red flags

None spotted.

Green flags

  • Publishes OTE. It tells you the on-target earnings up front. Most postings don't.

Based only on what the posting says. Flags are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.

Questions to ask on the first call

Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.

  1. 1.

    What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?

    OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.

  2. 2.

    What's the base, and how is the rest paid out?

    OTE without a base doesn't tell you what you can count on.

  3. 3.

    What's the annual quota, and how was it set?

    A quota built from real data is a target. Otherwise it's a hope.

  4. 4.

    What share of last year's closed deals did reps source themselves?

    Shows how much pipeline you'll have to build on your own.

  5. 5.

    How long is ramp, and what's the quota during it?

    Full quota on day one means you start behind.

  6. 6.

    Why is this role open? Did someone leave, or is it new?

    New headcount is growth. A replacement means someone left. Ask why.

When the offer comes

Save these for later. They land better once they've said yes to you.

  1. 1.

    Can I see the full comp plan in writing, including clawbacks and accelerators?

    What's in writing is what gets paid. Read it before you sign.

  2. 2.

    Can I see the actual comp distribution for the team last year, not just the OTE?

    The spread shows what most reps really take home. OTE is just the target.

  3. 3.

    I'd be walking away from earned commission to join. Is there room for a sign-on bonus to help cover that?

    Leaving money behind is a fair reason to ask. The worst answer is no.

Josh's top five questions for any sales interview →

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The role

Leads Cohere's public sector sales team in North America, building acquisition strategy and pursuing government and federal prospects. Also manages anchor relationships and closes high-value deals.

Enterprise · Mixed · Outbound

Selling motion

Mixed

Who you're selling to

Buyer:
Government decision-makers and federal agenciesIn their words: “Manage and nurture relationships with government decision-makers and partners to ensure Cohere’s success in the region.”
Industry:
Public sectorIn their words: “developing and executing on enterprise level PUBSEC customer acquisition strategies across the region”
Company size:
Enterprise

Pipeline expectations

Mostly self-sourced. Expect a lot of outbound.

Compensation

$560K–$675K OTE

What is not disclosed

This posting doesn't tell you:

  • Base salary
  • Quota size
  • Quota attainment
  • Average deal size
  • Territory
  • Sales cycle length

The questions above cover the big ones.

Full posting
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! Role Overview As our VP of Sales - Public Sector, you will spearhead year-over-year revenue growth by developing and executing on enterprise level PUBSEC customer acquisition strategies across the region. You will drive long-term success through strategic development, coaching, and expanding Cohere’s presence in the public sector. In this pivotal leadership role, you will cultivate and guide our sales team to exceed revenue targets and organizational goals, while fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Candidates must be based in North America to be considered for this career opportunity. Key Responsibilities As our VP of Public Sector Sales you will: - Develop, execute, and lead a comprehensive go-to-market growth strategy and sales plan for the Public Sector, driving revenue growth and market expansion working with other regional sales teams. - Provide sales and operational leadership to Cohere’s PUBSEC sales team, ensuring alignment with company objectives and priorities. - Partner with Marketing, Product, and Engineering teams to synchronize sales efforts with broader company goals. - Represent Cohere at PUBSEC industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities, as well as with regulators and government agencies, in collaboration with other regional and global leaders in Cohere. - Manage and nurture relationships with government decision-makers and partners to ensure Cohere’s success in the region. Identify and pursue new business opportunities, negotiating and closing high-value deals. - Collaborate with global teams to strengthen anchor relationships and establish best practices for enterprise-level project implementations, ensuring strong client engagement throughout project lifecycles. Qualifications This career opportunity may be a good match for you if you: - Have 10+ years of PUBSEC sales and leadership experience leading go-to-market efforts and driving revenue growth for fast paced technology organizations. - Have an established network, including federal agencies, prime contractors, and industry associations. - Possess a proven track record of leading capture and sales efforts for consultative solution sales and business development efforts, with a deep understanding of regional procurement and budget cycles, customer success, and resource allocation. - Have exceptional communication and leadership skills, with the ability to build cross-functional relationships and influence at all levels. - Are comfortable operating in a matrix environment, coordinating efforts across cross-functional teams and regions without the need for a large direct organization. - Are a self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset, capable of working independently, rolling up sleeves, and driving impact as a ‘builder.’ - Experience in AI or a related industry is highly desirable. - Must be based in North America with willingness to travel (25-40%). WORKING LOCATION: This role can be based remotely or from one of our office locations listed on the job description - there is no minimum in-office qualification requirement. We care most about hiring exceptional people regardless of locations, though please check the location listed on the posting for guidance around the core time zone or working hours alignment expected for the role. FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AT COHERE ENJOY THESE PERKS: - 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. HOW AND WHERE WE WORK: - Cohere is remote-friendly, but we also have offices in Toronto, London, New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Paris, Berlin and Seoul with more opening soon. - For those in the office: a daily lunch program, plenty of snacks, and regular community and social events. - For those not near an office: a co-working benefit so you can work alongside others in your city. - Everyone receives a $500 home office stipend to set up your workspace properly. If any of the above doesn’t line up exactly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply. We 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 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12a6IrLdF3kI2nonKSr4tiFuz18rLQbaeYV-JM9L4o9Q/edit, and we will work together to meet your needs. We may use AI-enabled tools to screen and assess applicants against the criteria for this position. This helps our recruiters identify potentially qualified candidates, but it doesn't limit the applications our recruiters may review or consider. Beware of Scams: Cohere will never ask for payment or third-party services (e.g., CV writing) as part of our hiring process. All legitimate roles are listed on the Cohere careers page and LinkedIn only, with all communications from Cohere employees coming from an @cohere.com or @cw.cohere email alias. If jobs are viewed on other sites then please verify these through our official careers https://cohere.com/careers page.
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