Retail Trade Account Executive (full-time)

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, introducing them to Ernesta’s products and services, and identifying opportunities to support active and future projects.

 

• Business Development:
• Spend approximately 20–30% of your month externally meeting with the trade community through designer and firm office visits, Lunch & Learns, industry events, networking opportunities, and other relationship-building activities.
• Develop a strong understanding of each trade partner’s business, aesthetic, project pipeline, and needs to provide relevant and personalized support.
• Deliver exceptional product and design expertise across materials, construction, sizing, styling, custom services, and the Ernesta assortment.
• Provide an elevated, consultative sales experience rooted in listening deeply and recommending solutions tailored to each project.
• Maintain consistent and thoughtful follow-up across sample orders, open quotes, active projects, and previously engaged accounts.
• Maintain an organized and actionable account pipeline, including clear next steps, project timelines, relationship activity, and opportunities for growth.

 

• Partnerships within Retail and HQ:
• Partner with Design Assistants and the Showroom Leader to deliver a seamless experience when trade partners bring clients or projects into the showroom.
• Host and support showroom events that strengthen Ernesta’s presence within the local design community.
• Share feedback from the trade community with internal partners to help improve our products, services, tools, and overall trade experience.

• Track performance and maintain accountabilit