Retail Trade Account Executive (full-time)

Retail Trade Account Executive (full-time)

Chicago, IL

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 partnersbecoming 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 2030% 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 2030% 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 accountability to goals across trade revenue, new account acquisition, account activation, pipeline development, retention, and relationship growth.

Represent Ernesta externally with professionalism, integrity, enthusiasm, and a genuine passion for design.

What Success Looks Like

• You develop trusted relationships with trade partners who increasingly turn to Ernesta as a resource for their projects.
• You consistently grow revenue from your portfolio through repeat business and deeper account relationships.
• You proactively build the business by creating new relationships rather than relying solely on inbound showroom traffic.
• New trade accounts become active customers with meaningful project pipelines and repeat purchasing behavior.
• You maintain a healthy and well-managed pipeline with clear visibility into opportunities, next steps, and expected timing.
• You are known within the local design community as a knowledgeable, responsive, and reliable partner.
• You work collaboratively with the showroom team while taking personal ownership of your accounts and results.
• You consistently demonstrate Ernesta's values of customer centricity, integrity, passion for design, collaboration, growth mindset, and reliability.

Qualifications Include

• 12+ years of relevant experience within interior design, home furnishings, architecture and design sales, trade sales, account management, or a related design-focused industry.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong professional relationships and develop trust with clients or accounts over time.
• Passion for interior design, home dcor, architecture, and the broader design community.
• Entrepreneurial and self-motivated, with the drive to proactively create new business opportunities and grow a book of business.
• Commercially minded and motivated by achieving sales and relationship-growth goals.
• Highly organized with strong time management skills and disciplined follow-through.
• Comfortable prospecting, initiating new relationships, and engaging people you have not previously worked with.
• Confident communicating and presenting one-on-one and to groups, including designers, architects, and design firms.
• Curious and consultative, with the ability to listen deeply, understand project 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.