Reception / General Office Assistant

We are looking for a Reception / General Office Assistant to join our General Office team in our Leeds office. This person will serve as a 'front of house', operating the switchboard and responsible for the client reception areas in Leeds, representing the firm as a first point of contact. This role will require someone who is well organised, uses initiative and prioritises appropriately. It will also require someone who demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and who delivers helpful internal services with a "can do" attitude.

Job Responsibilities:

Reception
Operating the switchboard, transferring calls quickly, efficiently and politely for the Leeds office and overflow calls from the London office
Taking messages where necessary and forwarding them to the appropriate persons
Covering the reception areas at all times, greeting clients and visitors taking care that they are looked after and generally ensuring that their experience of the firm is a positive one
Handling incoming faxes and distributing them promptly
Receiving post and packages delivered by hand and notifying the recipient of its arrival
Maintaining the reception areas to ensure that they are tidy and that there is sufficient literature available
Co-ordinating the meeting room bookings, preparing rooms for use, providing appropriate refreshments and stationery
Managing taxi / train bookings
Managing national and international courier bookings
Booking parking spaces
Supervising all meeting rooms in the reception area; liaising with IT/paralegals/Administrators/ Knowledge Management and Solicitors as necessary
Handling client enquiries and forwarding them to the relevant fee earners as necessary
Training any reception cover
Liaising with Knowledge Management in the organisation of in-house training days and other training events
Ordering catering for lunches/breakfast meetings

General Office
Dealing with incoming and outgoing post
Ensuring the post rooms and common office areas are kept tidy and organised, including kitchens, store rooms and corridors
Ensuring printers and photocopiers are fully stocked and paper and toner is readily available at all times
Ensuring the stationery cupboards are fully stocked and carrying out orders, as required.
Arranging recycling of old toners
Ensuring that all general office equipment is in good working order and maintained, recording and reporting faults
Transporting boxes and other items, involving some lifting and carrying
Arranging for files to be scanned and sent to archives, as well as retrieving files from archives.
Overseeing the drinks machines to ensure they are stocked and operating correctly
Carrying out day to day reprographics duties utilising both black and white and colour copiers
Liaising with external reprographics company for any outsourced requirements
Scanning documents, laminating, burning CDs and binding
Ensuring that all copying jobs are finished in line with the instructions given, including collating, stapling and binding
Assisting with video conferencing/Zoom meeting set-up
Working alongside the Leeds Office Manager to ensure health and safety supplies are kept up to date.
Providing induction training to new joiners
Undertaking a variety of other general ad hoc duties as required

General Skills:
Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills (respectful, positive, articulate, professional and sympathetic)
A dynamic, creative and determined individual who makes things happen
Is a respectful, reliable and supportive team player
Professional in attitude and able to work under pressure
Self-motivated with a high level of initiative and persistence
Well organised, uses initiative, prioritises appropriately, applies self, shows attention to detail, manages own workload and meets deadlines
Delivers helpful internal and external client services with a “can do” approach, shows commercial awareness and represents the department/Firm appropriately
Shares information and ideas
Reflects the Firm’s culture.