Senior Account Executive - US Public Sector (SLED, Civilian and Federal)

Key Responsibilities

• Territory Ownership: Develop and execute a strategic sales plan for the U.S. public sector, focusing on high-value opportunities in SLED, Federal (DoD, Civilian), and Education markets.
• Relationship Building: Cultivate C-level and executive relationships with government decision-makers, systems integrators, and channel partners in the D.C. ecosystem.
• Procurement Expertise: Navigate complex contract vehicles (GSA Schedule, SEWP, ITES, state/local cooperatives) and compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, NIST, CMMC).
• Solution Selling: Align Cohere’s AI platform with agency pain points, such as digital transformation, cybersecurity, and citizen engagement, through tailored demos and value propositions.
• Pipeline Management: Forecast accurately, manage RFPs, and collaborate with government affairs, legal, solutions engineering, and marketing teams to win deals.
• Market Intelligence: Track policy changes (e.g., AI Executive Order, NDAA) and competitor strategies to inform sales tactics.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of direct public sector sales experience in the U.S., with a proven track record of closing $5M+ annual quotas.
• Deep knowledge of federal, SLED, and civilian agency procurement cycles and decision-making processes.
• Established network in the D.C. metro area, including federal agencies, prime contractors, and industry associations (e.g., AFCEA, ACT-IAC).
• Experience selling SaaS, AI/ML, or enterprise software solutions to government clients.
• Must be based in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia with willingness to travel (25-35%).