About the Role

The Account Executive, Retention & Digital Products owns a new-business revenue number for a specific vertical: Retention Marketing (email, SMS, lifecycle) and Digital Products (GEO / AI-search, SEO, CRO, web builds, and web support). You are a commercial, closer-minded operator who builds a book through partnerships, industry events, and targeted outreach - and who also fields and closes the inbound that arrives in your vertical.

You are a hunter with a specialty. You will become the person the market associates with Darkroom's retention and digital practice: at the conferences, in the partner ecosystem, and in the rooms where these deals get done. You will also own the upsell and cross-sell motion for your departments - working the existing client base alongside our Managing Directors and Will Margaritis (SVP, Strategy) to identify and close expansion into your services.

This is a high-accountability role with clear revenue KPIs and uncapped commission that rewards self-sourced pipeline. If you want to own a vertical, build a durable network, and close tech-enabled marketing services you believe in, this is the role for you.

Location: NYC strongly preferred.

Your Vertical

You own new business and expansion across two department clusters:

• Retention Marketing - email, SMS, and lifecycle (Klaviyo and the broader retention stack).
• Digital Products - GEO / AI-search optimization, SEO, conversion-rate optimization, web builds, and ongoing web support.

You will build deep fluency in these services, the platforms behind them, and the buyer in each - so that when a brand says "our email program is flat" or "we're invisible in AI search," you are already scoping the deal.

What You'll Do
Primary - Source and close new business in your vertical

• Own a quarterly new-business number for retention and digital products.
• Build and work a partner ecosystem - Klaviyo, Shopify Plus, retention and CRO tech, AI-search and SEO platforms - as a durable referral engine along with a vertical focus defined during your first 30 days (subscription products, fashion, etc).
• Represent Darkroom at industry events and conferences in your vertical (K:BOS, BrightonSEO / MozCon, CXL Live, MAICON, emerging GEO/AEO events, Shoptalk, eTail), and build the local/in-market relationships that surface deals.
• Develop and pursue a named target ("whale") list of brands that fit your services.
• Field and close inbound that arrives in your vertical.
• Lead the full commercial process: scoping, pricing, proposal, and close.
• Work with our marketing team to understand inbound strategy across content creators, seo, and other deal sources.

Primary - Own the upsell & cross-sell motion

• Run a standing weekly expansion meeting with the Managing Directors of your departments and Will Margaritis (SVP, Strategy), where you work the client base for upsell and cross-sell opportunities and drive the flagged deals to close.
• The MDs surface the opportunity from delivery insight; Will clears account health and capacity; you own the commercial motion and the close.
• Proactively identify expansion through client conversations, performance data, and account signals - you are the person the account team calls when an opportunity emerges.

Secondary - Vertical fluency and onboarding

• Maintain deep, current command of Darkroom's retention and digital service catalog and the platforms behind it.
• Be present on onboarding calls for new clients in your vertical to establish the expansion relationship from day one.
• Maintain clean pipeline documentation in HubSpot and Notion (Sourced By, Closed By, Origination, deal stages) - comp is calculated off these fields.

What You Will Not Do

• High-volume cold prospecting for net-new logos outside your vertical - that is the outbound BDR's function. You source through partnerships, events, and targeted relationships.
• Deliver QBRs.
• Execute campaign changes or optimizations - that is the account team's responsibility.

You Should Apply If This Sounds Like You

• 5+ years in a full-cycle Account Executive or equivalent sales role with a documented closing track record. Agency, MarTech, or SaaS experience strongly preferred.
• Closer DNA. You have carried a quota and closed new-business and expansion deals. You are energized by revenue outcomes, and you source your own pipeline rather than waiting for leads.
• Vertical credibility. You can speak fluently about retention/lifecycle marketing, SEO and the shift to AI-search / GEO, CRO, and web builds - enough to earn a technical buyer's trust.
• Network-builder. You know how to turn partners and conferences into a durable pipeline, not one-off business cards.
• Commercially instinctive. When you hear "we're rebuilding our site next year," you are already scoping the deal.
• Self-directed operator. Highly organized, proactive, fast-moving. You do not need to be managed into motion.
• Tool-proficient. HubSpot (or equivalent CRM), Notion, Google Workspace, Slack; comfortable reading performance data and dashboards.
• Polished communicator. Fluent English, strong video presence, comfortable presenting to founders and CMOs of growth-stage DTC brands.

How You'll Be Measured

• Quarterly new-business quota attainment (new MRR + variable, per the Sales Quota & Commission Plan).
• Upsell and cross-sell revenue closed.
• Self-sourced pipeline generated (partnerships, events, outbound relationships).
• Inbound deals closed in your vertical.
• Pipeline hygiene in HubSpot.

What It's Like to Work at Darkroom

Darkroom is not a typical agency. We are looking for A players who want to build something great. We move fast, think deeply, and expect every team member to bring insight and rigor to everything they touch. We hold a high bar for performance, creativity, and ownership - but we also support each other relentlessly. No egos, no red tape - just world-class talent building something remarkable.

We believe in autonomy with accountability, truth over comfort, and outcomes over optics.

• Unlimited PTO + US holidays: Rebooting is part of the work. Take the time you need to stay sharp.
• Remote-First Culture: Many roles are fully remote. Employees based in or near our New York or Lisbon HQs are expected to work hybrid with weekly in-office time. Hub locations include the Brazil and Spain.
• Health & Wellness: Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Finances, growth, and retirement: Darkroom offers a robust 401(k) program with company match and profit-sharing opportunities to help you save and grow as the company grows.
• Parental Leave: Flexible parental leave to support new parents during this important transition.
• Growth: Our interdisciplinary model gives every Darkroomer exposure far beyond their core role. Grow your skills, expand your influence, and stay at the forefront of the industry.
• Compensation Structure: Base salary plus uncapped commission on new-business, upsell, cross-sell, and inbound revenue, with accelerators that reward self-sourced pipeline (partnerships, events, and outbound relationships pay a higher origination bracket than inbound). Full mechanics shared during the interview process.