Jobs in Birmingham, MI

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. 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. You develop trusted relationships with trade partners who increasingly turn to Ernesta as a resource for their projects.

What you'll bring

• 1–2+ 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 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 a willingness to take ownership.
• Comfortable managing multiple accounts, projects, quotes, samples, and follow-up timelines simultaneously.
• High level of comfort working across digital tools and systems used to manage customer relationships, communication, and sales activity.