Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
This Senior Director of People Operations role stands out in the SaaS ecosystem because it sits at the intersection of product-led innovation and organisational infrastructure. The listing signals a company building and deploying AI models for developers and enterprises, which typically brings rapid iteration cycles, specialised talent markets, and a need for people systems that can support technical teams across multiple geographies.
From a SaaS-career standpoint, the position offers exposure to the operating rhythms that distinguish subscription businesses: evolving org design as teams scale, repeatable processes that reduce friction, and leadership alignment around prioritisation. People Operations at this level also tends to touch the full employee lifecycle—performance, workforce planning, and capability building—creating experience that transfers across SaaS companies where execution depends on consistent management practices and well-instrumented internal systems.
The role is best suited to a senior People leader who prefers operating as a strategic partner to executives while also building and guiding a team of People Ops Partners. It should appeal to professionals who like translating business goals into practical programs, are comfortable working across offices and time zones, and want their impact measured through organisational effectiveness rather than standalone HR initiatives.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
Who are we?
Our mission is to scale intelligence to serve humanity. We’re training and deploying frontier models for developers and enterprises who are building AI systems to power magical experiences like content generation, semantic search, RAG, and agents. We believe that our work is instrumental to the widespread adoption of AI.
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. We like to work hard and move fast to do what’s best for our customers.
Cohere is a team of researchers, engineers, designers, and more, who are passionate about their craft. Each person is one of the best in the world at what they do. We believe that a diverse range of perspectives is a requirement for building great products.
Join us on our mission and shape the future!
Why this role?
Generative AI represents a turning point for businesses in every industry. Cohere is at the centre of enterprise transformation and is laser-focused on serving the enterprise sector, and its developers and partners.
The People Operations organisation is pivotal to the growth and success of Cohere. As the Senior Director of People Operations, reporting to our VP of People Operations, you will be a strategic business partner to executive leadership team, providing thought leadership, and an expert on processes and systems to support HR priorities.
You will lead a growing team of People Ops Partners in shaping our organisational culture, fostering employee engagement, and driving talent development initiatives. This role calls for a seasoned HR professional with a passion for building high-performance teams in a dynamic and evolving startup environment, preferably with experience in scale-up tech companies of 250+ employees.
As our Director, POPs, you will:
Act as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership on areas such as organisational design and team structure.
Lead and mentor a team of People Ops Partners, providing expertise on HR processes and systems.
Develop and execute HR strategies aligned with Cohere's business objectives.
Provide strategic guidance to leadership on workforce planning and talent development.
Implement initiatives to enhance employee morale, satisfaction, and retention.
Foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture that aligns with Cohere's values.
Oversee performance management processes, providing guidance to managers on goal setting, performance evaluations, and professional development.
Collaborate with teams to identify training needs and design programs to enhance employee skills.
Implement career development plans to support employee growth and retention.
Drive continuous improvement in HR processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
You may be a good fit for this career opportunity if you have:
7+ years of management experience, preferably leading a global team in a scale-up tech environment with 250+ employees.
Proven experience as an HR leader in a startup or high-growth environment.
Strong knowledge of HR best practices, employment laws, and industry trends.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to navigate ambiguity and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Location flexibility - Whilst many of the People Ops team are Toronto based, this role can be based in any of our offices: San Francisco, New York, Toronto or London.
If some of the above doesn’t line up perfectly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply!
We value and celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive work environment for all. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to providing equal opportunities. Should you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please submit an Accommodations Request Form, and we will work together to meet your needs.
Full-Time Employees at Cohere enjoy these Perks:
🤝 An open and inclusive culture and work environment
🧑💻 Work closely with a team on the cutting edge of AI research
🍽 Weekly lunch stipend, in-office lunches & snacks
🦷 Full health and dental benefits, including a separate budget to take care of your mental health
🐣 100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months
🎨 Personal enrichment benefits towards arts and culture, fitness and well-being, quality time, and workspace improvement
🏙 Remote-flexible, offices in Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London and Paris, as well as a co-working stipend
✈️ 6 weeks of vacation (30 working days!)
