Receptionist

Barnes & Thornburg LLP•Fort Wayne, IN

10d

About The Position

Under the direct supervision of the Office Administrator and in accordance with established policies and procedures, the Receptionist handles calls, clients, vendors and deliveries; directs them to the appropriate people; and performs reception, secretarial and clerical duties. The role maintains contact with attorneys, staff and clients while preserving the confidentiality of client and firm matters. Duties are performed with minimal supervision. The Receptionist serves as the office’s primary receptionist and first point of contact, provides courteous service to visitors and callers, supports telephone and message handling, and helps coordinate meetings and conference rooms. The position also helps maintain the reception area and conference rooms; receives and routes mail, deliveries and faxes; and provides word processing, data entry, filing and other administrative support. The role requires the ability to perform essential duties satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation. Work takes place in a normal office environment with little exposure to excessive noise, dust or temperature. Duties and responsibilities may change based on firm needs.

Requirements

High school-level reading and writing ability to process informational messages and follow basic document and correspondence preparation directions.
Approximately six months to one year of on-the-job experience to learn office procedures and organization, operate a telephone console and work with minimal supervision.
Typing ability sufficient to convert rough drafts of memos, letters and forms into final-quality documents, gained through one to three months of coursework or on-the-job training.
Ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks and meet established time constraints; consult with the Office Administrator and attorneys when priorities conflict.
Interpersonal skills to communicate in person, by telephone and by email with visitors, attorneys and staff with courtesy, ease and tact.
Ability to handle a high volume of calls and work in a fast-paced, changing environment while producing a high volume of work and managing distractions and competing direction.
Professional judgment, initiative and the ability to look ahead for opportunities to take initiative.
Ability to handle calls and visitors, operate telephone equipment and record messages.
Ability to lift telephone books, small delivery packages, boxes and other items weighing up to 20 pounds.
Reliable, timely and professional physical presence.

Responsibilities

Receive and record information from telephone callers and visitors and relay it to attorneys and staff.
Operate a multi-line telephone console for incoming, outgoing and internal calls; direct calls, manage inquiries and retrieve voicemail regularly.
Serve as the primary receptionist and first point of contact for visitors and callers; greet, announce and situate employees and visitors.
Meet and greet clients and visitors, ensure they are cleared and routed according to firm policies, and notify a supervisor about difficult situations.
Provide concierge-level service to guests, personnel and visitors.
Coordinate in-office and interoffice meetings and conferences and assist with strategic information-gathering tasks.
Open and prepare the reception, office and lobby areas for the day; maintain reception-area neatness, organization and supplies, and assist with supply ordering.
Schedule conference rooms and coordinate conference-room activities.
Coordinate meeting logistics, including food, beverages and IT services; order meeting lunches and provide cost information to the Office Administrator when checks are required.
Assist with meeting-room setup and breakdown and maintain room neatness and supplies.
Receive and record deliveries and route them to the appropriate recipients.
Back up the Resource Center by receiving and distributing mail and courier deliveries, preparing interoffice courier envelopes for daily FedEx pickup, and depositing outgoing U.S. mail at the designated drop box.
Receive incoming faxes through the Imagicle system and route or email them to recipients; coordinate other courier runs as requested.
Provide word processing and office assistance, including time entry, overflow typing of legal correspondence, data entry and filing.
Assist with envelope stuffing and create mailing lists for holiday cards and other mailings.
Provide other assistance to attorneys, paralegals and staff as needed, and perform other duties as assigned.