Role Overview
The Technical Program Manager, AI Delivery for Public Sector & Defense role at Cohere in France involves driving complex artificial intelligence deployments for government and military clients. This full-time position is tailored for professionals with extensive program management experience who want to bridge cutting-edge technology and public sector needs.
Key Responsibilities
Own end-to-end technical program delivery for French and European public sector and defense customers, managing projects from initial deployment through production scaling.
Act as the primary technical program point of contact, building trusted relationships with departmental Chief Information Officers and IT directors.
Translate complex government requirements, including security, compliance, data sovereignty, and bilingualism, into clear engineering plans.
Navigate intricate procurement processes, Requests for Proposals, and contractual technical obligations.
Provide clear communication between engineering organizations and government leadership, translating advanced AI concepts for decision-makers.
Create and manage project schedules that respect public sector timelines, security review processes, and approval cycles.
Identify and manage dependencies across government departments, security authorities, cloud service providers, and internal teams.
Ensure on-time delivery of AI solutions meeting strict security, privacy, accessibility, and performance benchmarks.
Establish governance checkpoints for high-stakes deployments and solve technical challenges in air-gapped or heavily regulated environments.
Requirements
Must be a French citizen living in France with fluency in French.
Minimum of 6 years of experience working as a customer-facing Technical or Engineering Program Manager within AI/ML consulting, technology transformation, or enterprise software delivery.
Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder technical programs with stringent compliance standards.
Strong understanding of enterprise software deployment architectures, including cloud, on-premises, hybrid, and air-gapped environments.
Deep understanding of how government and defense organizations procure, evaluate, and deploy technology.
Familiarity with European government requirements such as data sovereignty, privacy laws, accessibility standards, and security classifications.
Nice to Have
Active French security clearance, either Secret or Top Secret.
Bilingual proficiency in English and French.
Background or familiarity with European defense, intelligence, or critical infrastructure sectors.
Experience with cloud services like Azure or AWS, or Protected B/C environments.
Project management certifications such as PMP, PgMP, or government-specific methodologies.
Experience with modern AI technologies like Large Language Models, agentic systems, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, fine-tuning, and responsible AI.
Skills and Tools
AWS
Azure
Retrieval-Augmented Generation
Large Language Models
Program Management
Salary and Benefits
Weekly lunch stipend equivalent to local currency.
Full health and dental benefits, including a separate mental health budget.
Retirement savings matching programs including RRSP, 401K, or Pension Scheme.
100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months for either parent.
Annual enrichment benefits covering arts, culture, fitness, wellness, and workspace improvements.
Education and learning stipend for conferences, courses, and coaching.
30 working days of paid vacation per year.
Travel budget for visiting other offices and attending annual company offsites.
Home office setup stipend.
About the Company
Cohere is a leading security-first enterprise AI company that builds cutting-edge foundation models and end-to-end products to solve real-world business problems. The organization operates globally with headquarters in Toronto and key offices in London, New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Paris, Berlin, and Seoul.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, please visit the official Cohere careers page to submit your application.
