Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
This Security Officer role stands out in the SaaS landscape because it sits at the intersection of cloud-native AI delivery and government-grade security expectations. As frontier model providers increasingly sell to public sector and regulated enterprise buyers, operational security and industrial compliance become core go-to-market enablers, not back-office functions. The Ottawa location and explicit linkage to Canadian federal frameworks signal a business line where sovereignty, data handling, and contract eligibility materially shape product deployment.
For a long-term SaaS security career, the work builds fluency in translating policy into repeatable controls that scale with headcount and customer commitments. Acting as liaison to PSPC and coordinating clearances, audits, and incident reporting develops a governance skill set that transfers across SaaS companies pursuing regulated revenue, including those expanding into defense, critical infrastructure, or public sector procurement. The emphasis on records, training, and contractual clauses also reinforces the operational discipline that underpins security programs as companies mature.
This position is best suited to professionals who prefer structured, process-driven security work with external stakeholders and formal accountability. It fits someone comfortable being the single point of contact for sensitive workflows, and who values clarity in standards, documentation, and compliance cadence within an AI-focused SaaS environment.
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!
We are seeking a Security Officer to oversee and implement security protocols in alignment with Canadian industrial security standards. The Security Officer will play a vital role in overseeing Cohere's continued commitment to meet the security requirements of federal government contracts in Canada. This role will also act as a liaison with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).
As a Security Officer, you will:
Act as official point of contact with Public Services and Procurement Canada's (PSPC) Contract Security Program (CSP).
Ensure compliance with security policies, procedures, and regulations for handling classified information aligned with PSPC and Contract Security Program (CSP) requirements.
Oversee security screening processes for employees, contractors, and visitors, including background checks and reliability/secret clearance coordination.
Enforce access controls, secure storage, and transmission protocols for classified materials.
Report security incidents to relevant authorities (e.g., CSP, Canadian Security Intelligence Service) as required.
Maintain accurate security records, including personnel clearances, training logs, and incident reports.
Manage security briefings, debriefings, and ongoing security awareness training for cleared personnel.
Liaise with government agencies during audits or compliance reviews.
Ensure security requirements in government contracts are met, including CSP clauses.
Collaborate with procurement and legal teams to address security-related contractual obligations.
Qualifications & Requirements
Mandatory: Canadian citizenship and current residency in Canada .
Experience: 5+ years in security operations, with prior experience in industrial/government security preferred.
Clearance: Valid security clearance (Top Secret or higher preferred) and familiarity with CSP/PSPC frameworks.
Application Note: Only candidates meeting the citizenship and residency requirements will be considered. Candidates in Ottawa or within commuting distance will be strongly preferred.
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!)
