Account Executive - NY/NJ - Cannabis & Agriculture Industry Exp

About the role

The Account Executive — Northeast Region is a territory-owning commercial sales professional responsible for building and growing a portfolio of licensed commercial cannabis cultivation accounts across New York and New Jersey.

Responsibilities

• Territory Development & Account Management
• Own and grow the NY/NJ territory end-to-end: licensed MSOs, independent cultivators, and new licensees all in scope
• Manage an active portfolio of commercial cannabis cultivation accounts with regular cadence outreach and on-site engagement
• Develop new business through existing Northeast cultivation relationships and targeted outreach to licensed operators in the New York and New Jersey markets
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline — target 5–10 active accounts within 60 days of hire
• Customer Engagement & Facility Consultation
• Conduct on-site visits with head growers and cultivation directors to understand programs, system configurations, and supply needs
• Recommend the right products for each customer's grow style, substrate selection, IPM program, and Northeast-specific environmental challenges (cold climate, humidity management, seasonal lighting variation)
• Serve as a credible cultivation resource — able to speak knowledgeably about indoor and greenhouse production, rockwool and coco media, biological and chemical IPM, and commercial consumables
• Represent the brand at regional cannabis industry events, OCM-sanctioned engagements, and relevant trade shows
• Fulfillment Coordination & Operations Collaboration
• Collaborate with operations and fulfillment teams to ensure accurate, timely order execution for all Northeast accounts
• Feed demand signals back to procurement and category management to inform SKU prioritization and inventory planning for the NY/NJ market
• Confirm inbound logistics accuracy and escalate any fulfillment or supply issues that risk customer commitments
• Pipeline Tracking & CRM Discipline
• Maintain an accurate, up-to-date CRM record of all prospect and account activity — contacts, visit notes, pipeline stage, and next actions
• Provide regular territory updates including pipeline value, win/loss trends, competitive intelligence, and SKU demand signals
• Track ramp progress against 30/60/90-day milestones and provide accurate revenue forecasts

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Accounts in active pipeline by day 60: ≥ 5 qualified accounts
• First fulfilled orders closed by day 90
• Monthly new account acquisition rate: ≥ 2 new accounts per month post-ramp
• Portfolio revenue growth quarter-over-quarter: ≥ 15%
• Gross margin per order: prioritize HBX and preferred brand SKUs over commodity alternatives
• CRM activity compliance: 100% of visits and interactions logged within 24 hours
• Customer retention rate: ≥ 85% of accounts active on a recurring basis
• On-site visit cadence: minimum monthly touchpoint for top-tier accounts

Key Challenges

• Building a self-sufficient territory from the ground up in a competitive Northeast market where incumbent relationships with established distributors and regional suppliers are already entrenched
• Navigating the complexity of New York’s adult-use licensing environment — a market with a high volume of new licensees, shifting OCM regulations, and significant variation in operator scale and sophistication
• Operating in an early-entrant capacity without a legacy brand footprint across the NY/NJ market, requiring the AE to lead with cultivation credibility and product knowledge rather than name recognition
• Managing a geographically broad territory spanning the full state of New York and New Jersey while maintaining consistent on-site visit cadence and responsive account service
• Converting pipeline relationships built on goodwill into formal, contract-backed purchasing commitments within the 60–90 day ramp window

Job Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• 3–7+ years working in or selling into commercial cannabis cultivation in the Northeast; demonstrated knowledge of New York and New Jersey operator landscapes strongly preferred
• Existing relationships with head growers, cultivation directors, or procurement contacts at licensed NY/NJ cultivation operations — this is the highest-weighted qualification
• Hands-on cultivation knowledge: substrate selection, IPM programs, environmental controls, and Northeast-specific growing challenges (cold climate management, humidity, supplemental lighting strategies)
• Familiarity with product categories including growing media, biological and chemical IPM, fertigation supplies, and commercial cultivation consumables
• Proven track record of territory ownership — building, managing, and growing a book of accounts with minimal supervision
• Experience with CRM platforms and disciplined sales pipeline management