What are the responsibilities and job description for the Trade Account Development & Product Specialist position at Alva?
About ALVA
ALVA is a growing online custom window treatment company serving homeowners and interior designers throughout the United States. We combine thoughtfully designed products, workroom-quality customization and highly knowledgeable personal support.
We are looking for an unusually capable, proactive person who can become both a trusted ALVA product expert and a key relationship manager for our trade and retail customers.
This is not a traditional sales position, and it is not a passive customer-service role.
You will proactively develop relationships with interior designers while becoming an expert on ALVA's products and their technical applications. You will advise designers and homeowners on real-world window conditions, measurements, mounting requirements, installation considerations, product selection and feasibility.
The right person enjoys figuring things out, takes ownership of problems and does not need to be continuously reminded what needs to happen next.
What You'll Do
Become an ALVA Product Expert
Develop deep knowledge of ALVA's custom Roman shades, drapery, roller shades, woven woods and hardware.
Understand measuring, mounting, installation, clearances, product limitations and technical requirements.
Review photographs, measurements, drawings and window conditions and determine which solutions are feasible.
Understand how product dimensions and mounting requirements translate into real-world installations.
Translate technical product knowledge into clear recommendations for designers and homeowners.
Troubleshoot unusual window conditions and identify missing information before making a recommendation.
Develop the judgment to know when you have enough information to make a decision and when additional information is required.
Develop ALVA's Trade Accounts
Research interior designers already identified within our CRM and determine which are strong potential fits for ALVA.
Review firms' websites, portfolios and social media presence and intelligently prioritize outreach.
Consistently make proactive outbound calls and follow-ups.
Introduce designers to ALVA and understand their businesses, projects and needs.
Coordinate sample requests and proactively follow up after samples are received.
Develop promising contacts into active, long-term ALVA trade accounts.
Maintain relationships over time rather than treating outreach as a one-time sales interaction.
Consult Designers and Homeowners
Independently conduct product consultations with interior designers and homeowners.
Ask the right questions rather than waiting for customers to provide every piece of information.
Help customers determine which ALVA products are technically appropriate for their windows.
Explain measurements, mounting considerations, installation requirements and product trade-offs clearly and confidently.
Help customers solve problems when their original idea is not technically feasible.
Follow projects and relationships through without requiring constant management follow-up.
Know when to make a decision independently and when a genuinely unusual situation needs escalation.
Who Will Be Successful at ALVA
You may be a strong fit if you:
Are naturally proactive and have a strong sense of ownership.
Are comfortable being accountable for outcomes, not simply completing assigned tasks.
Have excellent spatial and visual reasoning.
Can look at a photograph, drawing and set of measurements and mentally understand how the pieces fit together.
Learn technical information quickly and can apply it to situations you have never encountered before.
Enjoy solving problems rather than simply identifying them.
Communicate confidently and professionally with sophisticated homeowners and interior designers.
Are comfortable making proactive outbound calls every day.
Follow through without being chased or reminded.
Notice potential problems and take action before someone tells you to.
Are highly organized and comfortable managing many relationships, projects and follow-ups simultaneously.
Can receive direct feedback, correct something quickly and prevent the same error from happening again.
Are comfortable making judgment calls when there is not an exact precedent.
Have high standards for your own work and pay close attention to details.
Experience with custom window treatments, interior design, architectural products, construction, installation or another technically detailed design product is strongly preferred.
This Role Is Probably Not a Fit If
This position is unlikely to be a good fit if you:
Prefer to wait for tasks to be assigned.
Need detailed instructions for every new situation.
Are uncomfortable making proactive outbound calls.
Tend to identify problems without taking ownership of solving them.
Need frequent reminders to follow through.
Are uncomfortable being accountable to measurable goals.
Have difficulty making decisions when there isn't an exact precedent.
Prefer highly repetitive work where most situations have one predetermined answer.
ALVA provides structured product training. However, we are looking for someone who can quickly turn that knowledge into independent judgment.
What Success Looks Like
During your first week, you will complete intensive training on ALVA products, measuring, mounting, installation and common window conditions.
During your first 30 days, you will progress from shadowing consultations to independently handling straightforward designer and homeowner questions.
Within approximately 30–60 days, you should be able to independently handle the majority of everyday ALVA product consultations and window scenarios while appropriately escalating unusual situations.
As you develop, you will own a portfolio of designer relationships, proactively develop new trade accounts and become a trusted technical resource for both designers and homeowners.
Ultimately, we are looking for someone who does more than know our products. We want someone who can think, apply that knowledge, make good decisions and take ownership.
ALVA is a growing online custom window treatment company serving homeowners and interior designers throughout the United States. We combine thoughtfully designed products, workroom-quality customization and highly knowledgeable personal support.
We are looking for an unusually capable, proactive person who can become both a trusted ALVA product expert and a key relationship manager for our trade and retail customers.
This is not a traditional sales position, and it is not a passive customer-service role.
You will proactively develop relationships with interior designers while becoming an expert on ALVA's products and their technical applications. You will advise designers and homeowners on real-world window conditions, measurements, mounting requirements, installation considerations, product selection and feasibility.
The right person enjoys figuring things out, takes ownership of problems and does not need to be continuously reminded what needs to happen next.
What You'll Do
Become an ALVA Product Expert
Develop deep knowledge of ALVA's custom Roman shades, drapery, roller shades, woven woods and hardware.
Understand measuring, mounting, installation, clearances, product limitations and technical requirements.
Review photographs, measurements, drawings and window conditions and determine which solutions are feasible.
Understand how product dimensions and mounting requirements translate into real-world installations.
Translate technical product knowledge into clear recommendations for designers and homeowners.
Troubleshoot unusual window conditions and identify missing information before making a recommendation.
Develop the judgment to know when you have enough information to make a decision and when additional information is required.
Develop ALVA's Trade Accounts
Research interior designers already identified within our CRM and determine which are strong potential fits for ALVA.
Review firms' websites, portfolios and social media presence and intelligently prioritize outreach.
Consistently make proactive outbound calls and follow-ups.
Introduce designers to ALVA and understand their businesses, projects and needs.
Coordinate sample requests and proactively follow up after samples are received.
Develop promising contacts into active, long-term ALVA trade accounts.
Maintain relationships over time rather than treating outreach as a one-time sales interaction.
Consult Designers and Homeowners
Independently conduct product consultations with interior designers and homeowners.
Ask the right questions rather than waiting for customers to provide every piece of information.
Help customers determine which ALVA products are technically appropriate for their windows.
Explain measurements, mounting considerations, installation requirements and product trade-offs clearly and confidently.
Help customers solve problems when their original idea is not technically feasible.
Follow projects and relationships through without requiring constant management follow-up.
Know when to make a decision independently and when a genuinely unusual situation needs escalation.
Who Will Be Successful at ALVA
You may be a strong fit if you:
Are naturally proactive and have a strong sense of ownership.
Are comfortable being accountable for outcomes, not simply completing assigned tasks.
Have excellent spatial and visual reasoning.
Can look at a photograph, drawing and set of measurements and mentally understand how the pieces fit together.
Learn technical information quickly and can apply it to situations you have never encountered before.
Enjoy solving problems rather than simply identifying them.
Communicate confidently and professionally with sophisticated homeowners and interior designers.
Are comfortable making proactive outbound calls every day.
Follow through without being chased or reminded.
Notice potential problems and take action before someone tells you to.
Are highly organized and comfortable managing many relationships, projects and follow-ups simultaneously.
Can receive direct feedback, correct something quickly and prevent the same error from happening again.
Are comfortable making judgment calls when there is not an exact precedent.
Have high standards for your own work and pay close attention to details.
Experience with custom window treatments, interior design, architectural products, construction, installation or another technically detailed design product is strongly preferred.
This Role Is Probably Not a Fit If
This position is unlikely to be a good fit if you:
Prefer to wait for tasks to be assigned.
Need detailed instructions for every new situation.
Are uncomfortable making proactive outbound calls.
Tend to identify problems without taking ownership of solving them.
Need frequent reminders to follow through.
Are uncomfortable being accountable to measurable goals.
Have difficulty making decisions when there isn't an exact precedent.
Prefer highly repetitive work where most situations have one predetermined answer.
ALVA provides structured product training. However, we are looking for someone who can quickly turn that knowledge into independent judgment.
What Success Looks Like
During your first week, you will complete intensive training on ALVA products, measuring, mounting, installation and common window conditions.
During your first 30 days, you will progress from shadowing consultations to independently handling straightforward designer and homeowner questions.
Within approximately 30–60 days, you should be able to independently handle the majority of everyday ALVA product consultations and window scenarios while appropriately escalating unusual situations.
As you develop, you will own a portfolio of designer relationships, proactively develop new trade accounts and become a trusted technical resource for both designers and homeowners.
Ultimately, we are looking for someone who does more than know our products. We want someone who can think, apply that knowledge, make good decisions and take ownership.