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Cohere, a leading enterprise AI company headquartered in Toronto, is building a Government Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) team to establish and strengthen its presence across the Middle East. As Government Affairs Lead for the Middle East, you will be responsible for developing and executing Cohere's government affairs strategy across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
You will report directly to Cohere's Head of EMEA Government Affairs & Public Policy and serve as the company's primary government affairs representative in the region. Key responsibilities include building trusted relationships with ministries, regulators, government authorities, public-sector organizations, and innovation agencies; monitoring legislative and regulatory developments affecting AI, cloud computing, data governance, and cybersecurity; developing policy consultation responses, briefing materials, and stakeholder engagement strategies; and supporting business development opportunities in government, financial services, telecommunications, and energy sectors.
You will collaborate closely with senior leadership, legal, public policy, responsible AI, communications, and commercial teams to ensure consistent messaging regarding Cohere's approach to responsible AI and technology policy. Additional responsibilities include representing Cohere at industry associations, conferences, and policy forums; managing relationships with external government affairs consultants and trade associations; and ensuring full compliance with local laws and company policies.
The ideal candidate brings 7+ years of experience in government, ministerial offices, public policy, diplomacy, public-sector consulting, regulatory affairs, or corporate government affairs. You should have strong understanding of the policymaking and regulatory landscape in the UAE and/or Saudi Arabia, with ability to quickly develop expertise across both markets. Experience building relationships with senior government officials, familiarity with AI policy and digital transformation, and excellent English communication skills are essential. Professional Arabic proficiency is highly desirable. You should demonstrate strong analytical skills, collaborative mindset, entrepreneurial self-starter mentality, and passion for AI and emerging technologies. An undergraduate degree in political science, international relations, public policy, law, business, economics, or related field is required.
About Cohere
AI / Data / Infrastructure — enterprise generative AI models and tooling for businesses.
