Retail Trade Account Executive (full-time)

The posting, as Ernesta wrote it

About Ernesta

Ernesta is on a mission to bring gorgeous, design-focused custom rugs to homes and places of gathering through an enjoyable, frictionless, and affordable experience. At the same price as a store-bought standard-sized rug, a custom-cut rug from Ernesta will not only be a better fit, but also a better buying experience. We believe that high-quality custom design shouldn't be out of reach for consumers and aim to address this need in the multi-billion-dollar global rug industry.

Driven by our collective mission, our team is hungry, hardworking, and highly ambitious. We’re problem solvers, innovators, design enthusiasts, and executors. We are relentlessly focused on creating and delivering beautiful and delightfully simple solutions and experiences for our customers. Together, we are excited and humbled by the opportunity to expand the market for custom rugs and allow more people to live in elevated design settings. Put simply, we believe more soft surfaces mean happier homes.

About the Role

Ernesta is looking for an experienced Retail Trade Account Executive to join our Retail team. This role will report to the Showroom Leader and be responsible for building and growing Ernesta’s trade business within the local design community.

At Ernesta, we believe long-term partnerships are more valuable than one-time sales. As a Retail Trade Account Executive, you will own and nurture relationships with interior designers, architects, and other trade partners—becoming a trusted resource for their projects and helping them incorporate Ernesta into their work.

You will be equally focused on growing existing relationships and creating new ones , proactively developing a pipeline of trade business through thoughtful outreach, exceptional service, and consistent follow-through. You will build relationships both inside and outside of the showroom, spending approximately 20–30% of your month in the local trade community through firm and office visits, Lunch & Learns, industry events, networking, and other relationship-building opportunities.

This is an entrepreneurial sales role for someone who is energized by building a book of business, passionate about design, highly organized, and motivated by results. You will work closely with the Showroom Leader and Design Assistants to ensure our trade partners receive a best-in-class Ernesta experience from initial introduction through project completion and beyond.

What You’ll Do

• Build and grow Ernesta’s local trade business by developing meaningful, long-term relationships with interior designers, architects, and other trade partners.
• Own a portfolio of trade accounts and proactively develop those relationships to drive repeat projects, retention, and revenue growth.
• Identify, prospect, and acquire new trade accounts within the local design community through targeted outreach, referrals, networking, and community engagement.
• Activate new trade accounts by understanding their business,

[…]
t needs, and recommend thoughtful solutions.

• Solutions-oriented with sound judgment, business sense, high integrity, and a willingness to take ownership.
• Comfortable managing multiple accounts, projects, quotes, samples, and follow-up timelines simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills across in-person, phone, email, text, and video interactions.
• High level of comfort working across digital tools and systems used to manage customer relationships, communication, and sales activity.
• Ability and willingness to travel locally for trade meetings, office visits, Lunch & Learns, and industry events.
• Ability to work a flexible retail schedule as needed, including occasional evenings, weekends, or events based on the needs of the business and local trade community.

Nice to Have

• Existing relationships within the local interior design, architecture, or home furnishings community.
• Experience working in a high-end or design-focused showroom environment.
• Experience managing a portfolio or book of trade, designer, or professional accounts.
• Experience with custom products, textiles, rugs, furniture, or other home furnishings.
• Experience with design tools, spatial planning, or custom measurement processes.
• BA or experience working in a creative field such as interior design, architecture, art history, or a related discipline.

Ernesta is committed to inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

This role pays an hourly rate of $30/hour plus a quarterly bonus. The anticipated maximum annual compensation range for this role (including the quarterly bonus) is approximately $90,000.

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