Customer Success Manager

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?

We’re seeking an exceptional Customer Success Manager with deep expertise in the German public sector and defence 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 German government and defence organizations.

You will be the trusted advisor and strategic partner for German federal ministries, state (Länder) authorities, public institutions, defence organizations, and critical infrastructure providers as they navigate the complex journey of AI adoption. You’ll guide organizations through the implementation of frontier AI in secure, highly regulated environments—ensuring solutions deliver measurable impact while meeting stringent security, privacy, compliance, and ethical requirements.

In this role, you’ll collaborate with our Strategic Customer team, Applied ML (AML) Engineering, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), Platform, Product, and Go-to-Market teams, serving as the voice of the customer internally and the face of Cohere externally for our most sensitive and high-impact government engagements.

You’ll have the unique opportunity to shape how Germany’s most important institutions leverage AI to serve the public good.

What you'll do:

Strategic Customer Partnership:

• Own the success, adoption, and growth of Cohere’s German public sector and defence customers, ensuring they realize maximum value from our AI solutions

• Build deep, trusted relationships with senior German government stakeholders, including Bundesminister, Staatssekretäre, CIOs, digital transformation leads, and ministerial executives

• Develop comprehensive success plans tailored to each organization’s mission, digital strategy, budget cycles (Haushaltsplan), 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 German 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 German government environments, including air-gapped systems, VS-NfD (Verschlusssachen - nur für den Dienstgebrauch) environments, and on-premises deployments

• Navigate the unique challenges of German public sector AI adoption: legacy system integration, data sensitivity, lengthy approval processes (Vergabeverfahren), and risk-averse organizational cultures

• 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 German public sector and defence 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, German language support, and ethical AI

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

• Share customer insights to inform Cohere’s German public sector go-to-market strategy and positioning

• Represent Cohere at German government forums, working groups (Arbeitsgruppen), roundtables, and industry events

This career opportunity may be a good match for you if you have:

Required Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in customer success, account management, strategic consulting, or technology delivery roles within enterprise or German government contexts

• At least 3-5 years working directly with German federal ministries, state authorities, or defence organizations in a technology, digital transformation, or consulting capacity

• Proven track record of managing complex, strategic accounts with multiple stakeholders, long sales cycles, and multi-year implementation timelines

• Experience leading AI/ML, cloud, or enterprise software implementations in secure or highly regulated environments

• Experience developing and executing customer success strategies, QBRs, and executive engagement programs

• Deep understanding of how German government organizations evaluate, procure (following Vergaberecht), implement, and govern technology solutions

• Active Streng Geheim (Top Secret) security clearance (mandatory)

• Fluent German language proficiency—essential for working across the German public sector

German Public Sector & Defence Acumen:

• Comprehensive knowledge of the German public sector ecosystem: federal ministries (Bundesministerien), state governments (Länder), public enterprises, defence, intelligence, critical infrastructure, and research institutions

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and frameworks: BDSG, GDPR, BSI-G, TTDSG, NIS2, Algorithmic Impact Assessment requirements, accessibility standards

• Experience with German government cloud strategies and security frameworks: Deutschland Cloud, BSI standards, VS-NfD environments, CCC guidelines

Nice to Have Skills/Experience:

• 3+ years specifically managing GenAI, LLM, or conversational AI implementations

• Experience with specific German public sector digital transformation initiatives: Deutschland Digital 2025, DigitalPakt Schule, German Administrative Cloud (DVC), or federal/state digital modernization programs

• Direct experience working with German defence, intelligence, public safety, or national security organizations

• Background in management consulting, systems integration, or digital transformation consulting for German public sector clients

• Experience with any modern programming language (C++, C#, JavaScript, Python etc.)

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!)