Design Trade Partnerships Lead

Ernesta; Utah; On-site; USD 62,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ernesta in Utah seeks an experienced Retail Trade Account Executive to grow our local trade business by building lasting relationships with interior designers, architects, and other trade partners. You will manage a portfolio of accounts, drive repeat projects, and proactively acquire new ones through targeted outreach and events.

You’ll spend 20–30% of your time outside the showroom meeting the trade community, delivering design expertise, and providing personalized support.

Qualifications

• 1–2+ years of relevant experience in interior design, home furnishings, architecture and design sales, trade sales, account management, or related industry.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong professional relationships and develop trust with clients or accounts over time.
• Passion for interior design, home décor, 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 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Job description

Ernesta in Utah seeks an experienced Retail Trade Account Executive to grow our local trade business by building lasting relationships with interior designers, architects, and other trade partners. You will manage a portfolio of accounts, drive repeat projects, and proactively acquire new ones through targeted outreach and events.

You’ll spend 20–30% of your time outside the showroom meeting the trade community, delivering design expertise, and providing personalized support.