Director, Total Rewards

Who are we?

Cohere is the leading security-first enterprise AI company. We build cutting-edge foundation AI models and end-to-end products that are designed to solve real-world business problems.

We’re training and deploying frontier models for enterprises who are building AI systems. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI and we are looking for folks that want to be part of that.

We obsess over what we build. Each one of us is responsible for contributing to increasing the capabilities of our models and the value they drive for our customers. Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are all passionate about their craft.

We are a global technology company headquartered in Toronto with key offices in London, New York City, San Francisco, Montreal, Paris, Berlin and Seoul. Join us!

Role Overview

At Cohere, we believe exceptional talent deserves exceptional rewards.

As our Director, Total Rewards, you'll own and evolve the strategy that helps us attract, retain, and motivate some of the world's most sought-after people working at the forefront of AI. Total Rewards is a strategic lever that enables us to compete for exceptional talent in one of the most competitive markets in the world.

You'll join as the founding member of our Total Rewards function, with the opportunity to shape not only our philosophy, programs, and operating model, but also the future of the team itself. You'll start as an individual contributor with significant ownership, and as the company continues to grow, you'll have the opportunity to build and lead a world-class Total Rewards team.

Partnering closely with senior leaders across the business, you'll influence our compensation philosophy, equity strategy, global benefits, and executive reward programs. While you'll inherit a strong foundation, you'll have the autonomy to evolve our approach, challenge conventional thinking, and ensure our rewards strategy continues to scale alongside one of the world's leading frontier AI companies.

This is a highly visible, high-impact role with significant ownership. You'll be a trusted advisor to leaders across the company, influencing some of our most important people and business decisions while helping shape the employee experience at one of the world's leading frontier AI companies.

What You'll Own

Own and evolve our Total Rewards strategy

Lead the vision, strategy, and roadmap for Total Rewards, ensuring our philosophy and programs continue to evolve alongside our business and support our next stage of global growth.

Shape how we reward exceptional talent

Design and continuously refine our global compensation and equity programs to attract and retain world-class talent across research, engineering, go-to-market, and corporate functions.

Design globally scalable benefits

Build and evolve a thoughtful benefits strategy that provides a consistent employee experience globally while allowing flexibility to meet local market needs.

Be a trusted advisor

Partner closely with executives, Finance, People, and business leaders on compensation decisions, organizational changes, executive hiring, and reward strategy, providing thoughtful guidance grounded in data and market insight.

Keep us ahead of the market

Monitor compensation, benefits, and industry trends to ensure our programs remain competitive, innovative, and aligned with our philosophy and values.

Build for scale

Continuously improve our systems, processes, and operating model so our Total Rewards function can support the company's rapid global growth.

We'd Love to Hear From You If...

• You have 10+ years of experience leading Total Rewards in fast-growing technology companies.

• You've built, evolved, or significantly transformed global compensation and benefits programs.

• You have deep expertise in compensation philosophy, equity programs, executive compensation, and global benefits.

• You're comfortable advising senior leaders and influencing complex business decisions.

• You combine strong commercial judgment with analytical rigor and enjoy solving complex problems through data.

• You thrive in high-growth environments where priorities evolve quickly and you're excited by the opportunity to build and continuously improve.

• You're an exceptional communicator who can explain complex reward concepts with clarity and influence.

Why This Role?

• Own one of the most strategic Total Rewards agendas in AI. Reward is one of the ways we compete for talent, and you'll play a central role in shaping that strategy.

• Work alongside exceptional people. Help attract and retain some of the world's leading researchers, engineers, and operators building frontier AI.

• Influence at the highest levels. Partner directly with senior leadership on some of the company's most important talent and business decisions.

• Shape what comes next. You'll inherit a strong foundation with the freedom, ownership, and trust to evolve it as we continue to scale globally.

• Build with impact. The work you do will directly influence how we grow, compete, and create an exceptional employee experience.

Location

This role can be based remotely or from one of our office locations. We care most about hiring exceptional people regard