Business Development & Community Relations Representative (Cary)
Do you leave a networking event with three real follow-ups while everyone else leaves with a stack of business cards? Are you naturally good at remembering people, making connections, and finding reasons to stay in touch? Can you look at an event or sponsorship and tell the difference between a worthwhile opportunity and something that only sounds good on paper? Triangle Smart Divorce is growing, and we are looking for someone who is genuinely energized by people to lead our business development, referral relationships, community visibility, and client-experience efforts. This is not a traditional sales job, and it is not a behind-the-scenes marketing position. We need someone who can build trust over time, represent the firm well, follow through without being chased, and help more people in the Triangle know who we are and what makes us different. Your main goal will be to build real referral relationships, help current and former clients feel well served, and take ownership of getting Triangle Smart Divorce in front of the right people. You will help turn one-time introductions into long-term relationships and make sure strong opportunities do not disappear because everyone got busy. You will work directly with our Director of Marketing and members of the Legal Team, while also partnering with Intake and Leadership. You will bring our attorney relationships, marketing efforts, and community opportunities together so they are more consistent, more strategic, and more effective. Responsibilities What You Will Own Business Development & Referral Relationships Build and maintain relationships with family law attorneys, financial professionals, therapists, CDFAs, community organizations, and other aligned referral partners. Own a centralized referral pipeline with current contact information, relationship history, next steps, and follow-up dates. Create thoughtful follow-up plans so promising conversations become maintained relationships instead of names on a spreadsheet. Support referral campaigns for priority services, attorneys, and firm initiatives. Represent Triangle Smart Divorce at chamber events, bar functions, professional associations, referral meetings, and community events. Work directly with the Director of Marketing and Legal Team to identify priority audiences, referral opportunities, and relationships that support the Firm’s larger goals. Track which relationships and activities are producing qualified opportunities and help us make better decisions about where to invest our time. Research events and sponsorship opportunities and determine which ones fit our audience, values, goals, and budget. Own event and sponsorship logistics, Team communication, and post-event follow-up. Identify credible speaking opportunities, media connections, community partnerships, and other ways to expand awareness of the Firm. Develop and maintain relationships with local reporters, editors, producers, and other media contacts. Work with the Director of Marketing to identify timely story opportunities, prepare the right attorney for interviews, and follow up in ways that build long-term media relationships. Manage relationship-focused client touches, including welcome, milestone, and parting gifts or communications. Regularly check in with former clients to see how they are doing, offer help, and connect them with trusted resources or referrals when needed. Maintaining these relationships will be a consistent part of the role, not a one-time follow-up. Listen for recurring client concerns and identify practical ways we can improve the experience. Help strengthen the connection between the experience we promise and what clients actually experience. What Success Looks Like Referral relationships are organized, active, and followed up on consistently. Events and sponsorships are chosen thoughtfully and evaluated based on more than attendance. Client and former-client touchpoints happen consistently and lead to useful feedback, stronger relationships, and referral opportunities. You can show what you are doing, what is gaining traction, and where we should adjust our approach. Qualifications Who We Are Looking For This is not an entry-level role. We can teach you family law, our systems, and what makes TSD different. We need you to bring the relationship-building instincts, follow-through, judgment, and confidence to take ownership fairly quickly. Required Experience & Skills At least four years of relevant professional experience in business development, account management, membership development, fundraising, hospitality or event sales, community relations, professional services, financial services, legal services, or another relationship-driven field. A demonstrated ability to initiate, develop, and maintain professional relationships over time. Strong follow-through and a reliable system for keeping contacts, commitments, and next steps organized. Comfort representing an organization with attorneys, professionals, community leaders, members of the media, clients, and prospective clients. Good judgment about which opportunities deserve time and money and which should be declined. Emotional steadiness and empathy when speaking with people experiencing stressful family situations. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Comfort using a CRM, spreadsheet, or similar system to maintain accurate relationship and activity data. Ability to work independently while collaborating across Teams. Ability to attend local meetings and events outside standard business hours. Helpful but Not Required Existing professional, community, referral, or media relationships in the Triangle. Experience building relationships with reporters, editors, producers, public relations contacts, or community publications. Experience in a law firm or another professional-services business. Experience evaluating sponsorships, events, partnerships, or community investments. Experience working with people in emotionally sensitive or high-stakes situations. Compensation & Growth This position will include a base salary, plus performance-based incentive compensation and a generous benefits package. Base salary is dependent on experience, relevant relationships, and the ability to take ownership quickly. The role will also have the opportunity to earn performance-based incentive compensation. This position has real room to grow. As the firm, referral volume, and department grow, the role may expand into leadership of a larger business development and client-experience function, supervision of additional Team members, ownership of larger budgets and strategies, and broader departmental responsibility. For the right person, this is an opportunity to help build the function now and grow with it rather than step into a role that is already fully defined. Growth will depend on results, business needs, and demonstrated leadership. Benefits & Perks Employer contributions to a 401(k) plan 100 percent employer-paid health insurance Paid time off and paid holidays Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance Employer-paid life insurance Employer-paid dental and vision insurance Maternity and paternity benefits Casual dress code Quarterly one-on-one meetings with the C-Suite Professional development and continuing-learning opportunities A family-friendly environment with flexibility when responsibilities permit Want to know what it is like to work at Triangle Smart Divorce? Hear what our Team has to say! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Z3-HPSydg How to Apply Please submit your resume and a cover letter that tells us: What you are looking for in your next opportunity Why this role interests you Why you think you would be a strong fit for Triangle Smart Divorce One example of a professional relationship, event, sponsorship, or community opportunity you helped turn into a meaningful result We are interested in how you think, how you build relationships, and what you would bring to the Team. About Triangle Smart Divorce Triangle Smart Divorce is a family law firm in Cary, North Carolina. Our mission is to help people make smart decisions to build the life they want. Most of our work involves divorce and separation, but we also help clients with custody, support, property division, prenups, postnups, mediation, parenting coordination, and other family law matters. Our tagline, “Not your typical law firm,” applies to our workplace too. We are an enterprising, business-minded firm. We are small enough that every person has a real impact, but large enough to offer the systems, support, stability, and benefits people want. We work hard, help each other, and have fun along the way. Our SMART Core Values Every member of our Team is expected to follow our SMART Core Values: Support: We help each other succeed. Mindfulness: We are present, thoughtful, and deliberate. Authenticity:
