Partner Development Manager - Japan

Join Cohere as a Partner Development Manager for Japan, driving AI partnerships and solutions in a dynamic market. Shape the future of AI in Japan with strategic alliances and innovative technologies. 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 co-headquartered in Toronto and San Francisco, with key offices in London, New York City, Montreal, Seoul, Germany and Paris. Join us!

As our Partner Development Manager - Japan, you will own the success of our partner relationships in Japan. Key responsibilities include:

• •Define and execute Cohere’s partner-go-to-market plan for the Japan Enterprise Market, aligning with regional business objectives.
• •Partner with the broader GTM team to identify and recruit high-impact partners across system integrators, distributors, resellers, ISVs, and cloud providers.
• •Develop relationships with key stakeholders across the partner ecosystem to ensure success of the partnership.

• •Lead partner onboarding, certification, and training programs to ensure partners are equipped to sell, deploy and manage Cohere’s solutions effectively.
• •Collaborate with enablement to scale partner enablement in Japan through sales and technical workshops, empowering them to deliver value to enterprise customers.

• •Own joint pipeline generation by creating co-sell motions, solution plays, and strategic joint go-to market motions that align Cohere’s capabilities with enterprise mission needs and procurement cycles.
• •Collaborate with partners to identify and pursue high-value opportunities across key Japan segments.

• •Ensure partners are aligned with Cohere’s strategic goals and performance metrics.
• •Run joint business planning sessions and quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with partners, tracking sourced and influenced ARR against targets.

• •Serve as the voice of the partner within Cohere, relaying feedback to Product, Engineering, and Legal teams.
• •Work with Cohere's Public Policy teams to navigate Japanese government AI policies to advise partners on risk management and responsible AI best practices.

• •Evangelize Cohere’s vision and solutions at partner and industry events, positioning Cohere as a leader in responsible GenAI for the Japanese market.
• •Build thought leadership through briefings, speaking engagements, and collaborative initiatives.

• •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.

• •Native-level Japanese and business-level English fluency.
• •8+ years of experience in partner development, channel sales, or alliance management within the tech industry, preferably in AI or cloud solutions, with a track record of enterprise ARR contribution.
• •Deep understanding of the Japanese enterprise market and key industry verticals.
• •Strong relationship-building and negotiation skills, with a track record of driving partner success.
• •Ability to navigate complex regulatory and compliance landscapes, including AI ethics and government policies.
• •Working understanding of AI (LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, agentic workflows).
• •Experience working with major system integrators, global consultancies, and hyperscalers including joint GTM and co-sell motions. Existing relationship with Fujitsu preferred.
• •Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to evangelize Cohere’s vision to partners and industry stakeholders.
• •Results-driven growth mindset and bias for action. You thrive in a start-up-speed environment and enjoy building and scaling partner programs.