Technical Program Manager, AI Delivery for Public Sector & Defence

About the role

In this role, you will lead the technical program delivery for AI solutions tailored to the public sector and defense in Canada. You will be the main point of contact for government customers, ensuring that complex requirements are translated into actionable plans while maintaining compliance with government standards.

You will work closely with various stakeholders, including senior government officials, to communicate technical concepts effectively. Successful candidates will manage project schedules, navigate government procurement processes, and ensure timely delivery of AI solutions that meet high security and performance standards.

The salary range for this position is between $120,000 and $163,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

Skills that matter here

• AI: This role requires a strong understanding of AI technologies, particularly in the context of deployment and compliance.
• ML: Familiarity with machine learning concepts is essential for managing technical discussions and program execution.
• program management: You will oversee the end-to-end management of complex technical programs involving multiple stakeholders.
• government compliance: Experience with government regulations and compliance is crucial for ensuring successful project delivery.
• technical delivery: You will coordinate technical work across teams to meet government standards.

Who this role suits

• You have a strong background in technical program management, particularly in AI/ML environments.
• You thrive in complex, multi-stakeholder scenarios and are comfortable navigating government processes.
• You possess excellent communication skills and can translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
• You are detail-oriented and adept at managing compliance and security requirements in project delivery.

From the employer

Customer Program Leadership:

• Own end-to-end technical program delivery for Canadian public sector and defence customers, from initial deployment through production scaling.
• Serve as the primary technical program point of contact for government customers, building trusted relationships with departmental CIOs, IT directors, and technical teams.
• Translate complex government requirements (security, compliance, accessibility, bilingualism, data sovereignty) into actionable engineering plans.
• Navigate government procurement processes, RFP responses, and contractual technical obligations.

Strategic Communication:

• Provide clear, timely, and objective communication across Cohere's engineering organization, customer stakeholders, and government leadership.
• Translate between AI/ML technical concepts and government-appropriate language for decision-makers who may not have deep technical backgrounds.
• Present technical roadmaps and status updates to senior government officials and departmental executives.
• Represent Cohere's technical capabilities in sensitive government and defence contexts.

Complex Program Management:

• Create and manage project schedules that account for government timelines, security review processes, and ministerial approval cycles.
• Identify and manage dependencies across government departments, security authorities, cloud service providers, and internal Cohere teams.
• Navigate risks unique to government deployments: privacy compliance, Algorithmic Impact Assessments, Treasury Board submissions, security authorizations.
• Drive alignment between product development priorities and specific government requirements.

Technical Delivery & Execution:

• Ensure on-time delivery of AI solutions that meet government-grade security, privacy, accessibility, and performance standards.
• Coordinate technical work across multiple teams: model customization, security hardening, integration with government systems, bilingual support.
• Establish governance checkpoints appropriate for high-stakes government deployments.
• Problem-solve complex technical challenges in air-gapped, on-premises, or highly regulated environments.

Required Experience:

• 6+ years of experience as a customer-facing Technical or Engineering Program Manager in AI/ML consulting, technology transformation, or enterprise software delivery.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management.
• Experience working with government, defence, or heavily regulated customers (public sector, defence contractors).
• Proven track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder technical programs with stringent compliance requirements.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; advanced degree or technical certs a plus.

Technical Background:

• Strong understanding of enterprise software deployment architectures (cloud, on-premises, hybrid, air-gapped).
• Working knowledge of or experience with modern AI: LLMs, agentic systems, MCP, RAG, fine-tuning, evals, and responsible AI would be a strong differentiator.
• Comfortable discussing API integrations, model inference, data pipelines, and ML operations with technical stakeholders.

Government & Defence Acumen:

• Deep understanding of how government organizations procure, evaluate, and deploy technology.
• Familiarity with Canadian government requirements: data sovereignty, privacy laws (Privacy Act), accessibility standards, official languages obligations, security classifications.
• Understanding of defence and national security considerations in AI deployment.
• Experience with Algorithmic Impact Assessments or AI ethics frameworks is a strong asset.
• Eligible to obtain Canadian government security clearance (Top Secret preferred).

What Makes This Role Unique:

• 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.