Account Executive (SLED, West)

About the role

Join Cohere as an Account Executive focused on State, Local, and Higher Education (SLED) customers in the Western region of the United States. In this role, you will own the full sales cycle, from identifying leads to closing deals, and collaborate with various teams to drive growth and customer success. You will also act as a trusted advisor to SLED customers, develop tailored value propositions, and leverage senior-level relationships to drive strategic opportunities. Key missions: Identifying leads and closing deals with State, Local, and Higher Education customers in the Western region of the United States.. Driving net-new customer acquisition through targeted outbound activity, senior leader engagement, and relationship building across SLED organizations.. Developing and executing a sales plan and prioritization for the SLED market in your territory, identifying pathways and partners to scale growth regionally. Profile: - High tolerance for ambiguity, you are both a strategist and a hands-on operator capable of building a market from the ground up - Established regional network, including state and local departments and agencies, prime contractors, and industry associations - Experience selling SaaS, AI/ML, or enterprise software solutions to government clients - Deep knowledge of SLED procurement cycles and decision-making processes, how to work with resellers, VARs and distributors - Creativity and strong technical acumen to structure unique, mutually beneficial partnerships - Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple internal and external stakeholders across fast-moving deals - 5+ years of direct public sector sales experience in the SLED Market, with a proven track record of closing $2M+ annual quotas - Excellent communication skills, you listen deeply, understand what matters to senior decision-makers, and confidently present to both technical and non-technical audiences - If any of the above doesn’t line up exactly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply