Business Development Manager

Status Labs is a premium digital reputation and narrative control firm serving Fortune 500 companies, high-net-worth individuals, executives, and public figures. Our services include ORM, SEO, GEO/AI visibility, Wikipedia consulting, personal branding, and crisis response. We are building a first-class BD and referral channel to match the strength of our service offering.

Before applying for this role, please read the following information about this opportunity found below.

The Role

We are hiring a Business Development Manager to build and manage a network of referral partners who send us high-value clients. This is a relationship-nurture role, not a transactional closer position. You will spend your time identifying the right partners, earning their trust, and staying genuinely useful and top-of-mind, so that when a reputation situation comes up for their client, Status Labs is the name that surfaces. The cycle is long and the pitch is soft. The skill is patience and discipline: cultivating a relationship for a year or more before it converts. A big rolodex alone is not what we’re looking for. What we’re looking for is someone who knows how to work it.

You will report to the Sr. Director of Partnerships. This is a ground-floor opportunity to shape a program that is central to our 2026 growth strategy.

What You Will Do

• Build and manage a portfolio of referral partner relationships across law firms, investment banks, PR and crisis communications firms, and adjacent professional services
• Identify and prospect net new ICP-fit referral partners with no existing Status Labs relationship
• Activate dormant partners in our existing network through outreach, events, and personal engagement
• Represent Status Labs at industry events, conferences, and association meetings — regionally and nationally
• Execute partner meetings, lunches, dinners, and check-ins to maintain active relationships
• Work with the internal team to ensure every referral is followed up quickly and closed properly
• Log all activity and partner interactions in HubSpot -- clean, current, no exceptions
• Contribute to collateral development, webinar programming, and partner events
• Report on pipeline, active partner count, and referral revenue weekly

What We Are Looking For

• 3+ years in business development, partnerships, or relationship-driven sales
• Direct experience working with or selling into law firms, investment banks, or PR and crisis communications firms
• Comfortable in rooms with attorneys, bankers, and senior communications professionals -- you know how they think and what they care about
• Proven track record building referral or channel networks through long-cycle nurture, not just closing direct deals. The value here is patience and discipline: staying useful and top-of-mind over months or years until the moment a partner has a reputation situation to hand off.
• Strong presence and follow-through -- partners refer to people they trust, not companies
• HubSpot or comparable CRM discipline, you log everything
• Comfortable with travel and in-person relationship building as a core part of the role
• Self-directed: you dont need a script to run a meeting or a manager to tell you who to call

Nice to Have

• Background in litigation finance (Burford Capital, Omni Bridgeway, Longford Capital, Westfleet Advisors), legal tech/e-discovery (Relativity, Everlaw, CS Disco), or PR intelligence and media monitoring (Cision, Muck Rack, Meltwater). These are the roles where the relevant partner rolodexes already live.
• Demonstrated history of long-term relationship cultivation that converted to business over an extended timeline
• Familiarity with online reputation management, SEO, or digital PR
• Experience with GEO, AI search, or emerging digital visibility services
• Background working in or alongside a professional services firm

Why Status Labs

• Ground-floor opportunity to build a referral program with real infrastructure and leadership support behind it
• Work alongside a team that serves Fortune 500 companies, public figures, and executives navigating high-stakes reputation situations
• Competitive base salary plus commission tied to referral revenue you generate
• A role where relationships are the work -- not a side effort
• Remote-first with flexibility, with an expectation of regular in-person engagement with partners

Please attach a resume for consideration. xihmbke

Employer work authorization sponsorship is not available for this position. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.