HR Business Partner

About the role

You will act as a strategic HR partner embedded within the Modelling organization at Cohere, aligning people initiatives with ambitious technical goals. In this capacity, you will own the end-to-end employee lifecycle for your assigned teams, ensuring that talent strategies directly support model research and deployment. You will build deep expertise in the specific challenges of scaling a security-first, research-intensive AI environment. This role requires you to navigate complex organizational dynamics with a high degree of integrity and discretion. You will be expected to translate ambiguous business needs into concrete people operations solutions. Ultimately, your work will ensure that high-performing researchers and engineers can focus on breakthrough innovation without being hindered by operational friction.

Key facts

What you'll do

Champion organizational design initiatives to optimize team structures for research velocity and model delivery.

Lead performance management processes that emphasize growth, clarity, and accountability for technical leaders.

Drive manager coaching programs to elevate leadership capability across the Modelling and Engineering functions.

Partner with senior stakeholders on talent strategy, including succession planning and critical role identification.

Own the employee experience agenda, enhancing engagement and retention within highly specialized technical teams.

Facilitate effective performance, talent, and succession discussions to ensure alignment between individual contributions and company objectives.

Act as a trusted advisor to leaders, balancing high standards with empathy in fast-moving, evolving environments.

Serve as a key point of contact for employee relations, applying sound judgment and discretion in sensitive situations.

Champion the continued evolution of the People function to reflect the unique needs of a global, security-first AI company.

Promote collaborative, low-ego behaviors that strengthen trust and psychological safety among researchers and engineers.

Move comfortably between strategic planning and tactical execution to deliver measurable improvements in team effectiveness.

Champion asynchronous communication practices, ensuring clarity and alignment in distributed, technical environments.

Support the analysis and resolution of complex people issues, ensuring compliance and consistency across employee lifecycles.

Act as an ambassador for the People function, representing Cohere's culture and values in all internal and external interactions.

Requirements

You bring several years of hands-on experience as an HRBP or People Partner within a fast-paced, demanding environment. You have a proven track record of partnering effectively with highly technical organizations such as Engineering and Research. Your background includes working within startup or scale-up settings where agility and adaptability are essential. You have supported globally distributed organizations, understanding the nuances of remote and hybrid work models. You are an exceptional written communicator who thrives in asynchronous settings, capable of conveying complex ideas with clarity and precision. You are excited to learn, grow, and take on increasing ownership over time as you build your expertise in the AI sector. You approach your work with a collaborative, low-ego mindset, valuing the input of colleagues across disciplines. You balance high standards with empathy, creating an environment where demanding work can coexist with psychological safety. You are comfortable making decisions independently while remaining aligned with the broader goals of the company.

Practical notes

Location: This role is based in London and follows a hybrid working model. We're looking for someone who enjoys collaborating in person and can regularly work from our London office alongside the leaders and teams they'll support.

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.

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.

Cohere is remote-friendly. We have offices in Toronto, San Francisco, New York City, London, Paris, Montreal, and more coming soon.

For those in the office: a daily lunch program, plenty of snacks, and regular community and social events.

For those not near an office: a co-working benefit so you can work alongside others in your city.

Everyone receives a $500 home office stipend to set up your workspace properly.

If any of the above doesn't line up exactly with your experience, we still encourage you to apply.

We 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 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12a6IrLdF3kI2nonKSr4tiFuz18rLQbaeYV-JM9L4o9Q/edit, and we will work together to meet your needs.

We may use AI-enabled tools to screen and assess applicants against the criteria for this position. This helps streamline the hiring process while ensuring fair and consistent evaluation of all candidates.