Administrative Assistant / Receptionist Job at London Full Time

Job Description:

Duncan Lewis Solicitors (Ltd):

Regulated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority, Duncan Lewis Solicitors was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in the City of London (Fenchurch Street EC3M), with offices nationwide. We are recognised by the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK independent legal directories as a top-tier law firm in all of our key practice areas – “a diligent and professional team that is prepared to go the extra mile for its clients”. A paperless law firm with over 500 personnel that embraces hybrid-working, we service both corporate entities and private individuals in over 25 areas of law across 60 languages. We give people a voice – that is our ethos.

Recognised among The Times 200 Best Law Firms, we have been awarded Law Firm of the Year at the 2024 Lexis Nexis Awards and 2023 Modern Law Awards, reflecting our dedication to legal expertise and client service. We hold Investors in People Gold Standard accreditation for over 15 years, showcasing our commitment to professional development. Duncan Lewis is also Law Society Lexcel, Cyber Essentials Plus, and ISO 27001 certified, ensuring excellence in practice management and data security.

We are committed to recruiting dedicated and talented professionals and welcome applications from exceptional candidates. At Duncan Lewis, we value training and diversity, and we take pride in our inclusive workforce.

About the role:

We are seeking an Administrative Assistant/Receptionist to be part of the Administrative team based at our Company’s City office (Fenchurch St). As the first point of contact for the company, the Administrative Assistant/Receptionist plays a crucial role in providing excellent customer service and administrative support to our Fee Earners, Support Teams and Management Board. The successful applicant will also be required to have ability for patience and understanding for clients who may have a language barrier.

This role is a full-time office based role (Monday to Friday).

Main Responsibilities of the Role:

• Ensure that all clients and visitors at reception and telephone callers to the office are greeted professionally and politely.
• Answer incoming phone calls or emails from clients, staff and other third parties. Divert them as appropriate, or refer enquiries to the relevant staff member, and/or take and pass on messages.
• Organising, and maintaining the reception area and office meeting rooms to ensure it is tidy and presentable.
• Work part of an Administrative / Post Team that is responsible for the day to day handling of the Company’s incoming post, outgoing post and central retention of its Original Documents in accordance with Company Paperless Policy & Procedures.
• Undertaking daily tasks such as collection of incoming post/DX, post opening, sorting, scanning, photocopying, filing of documents, digital data processing and arranging the internal couriering of documents across the Company’s London offices.
• Assist with the preparation of outgoing mail/DX for dispatch and franking of mail, to include completing the necessary documentation, and ensuring that they are ready for collection at the designated time and location.
• Maintaining and issuing paper, toner and office kitchen supplies/stock to the appropriate departments/locations on daily or weekly basis and keeping accurate stock records to ensure timely orders are made.
• To provide administrative assistance to Company fee earners in relation to administrative tasks, incoming/outgoing post and retention/retrieval of Original Documents being held on their behalf.
• Actively participate in training and development opportunities to deliver an effective service.
• Administratively assist with the set-up and pack-down of meeting rooms for training/induction sessions, conference meetings.
• Provide administrative support for the Company’s monthly 2-day induction programme for new joiners; including – ordering and display of refreshments and lunch.
• To be able to work an early shift at least twice a month (0830-1630) to assist with induction set-up where required.
• Maintaining a high standard of security in respect of client data and confidentiality
• Provide effective cover and undertake all administrative assistant duties where required to do so.
• Ensure that reasonable care is taken at all times for the health, safety and welfare of you and other persons. Adhere to all security protocols within authority buildings and grounds.
• Assist with any other administrative duties as reasonably required by Supervisor and/or Management Board.

Key Skills Required:

• Previous experience in a front of house, reception or admin support role would be highly preferred
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Good attention to detail
• Excellent organisation (able to multi-task) and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with people at all levels.
• Ability to work discreetly and have a positive, can-do attitude
• Ability to work well in a fast paced and busy office environment, and remain calm under pressure
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Self-motivated to work on initiative and tight deadlines
• Excellent IT skills with good ability to process information and digital data processing using relevant software (Databases, spreadsheet packages etc.)

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• A fantastic supportive team
• Excellent progression opportunities
• Support for appropriate legal awards/recognition

The recruitment process will fully comply with GDPR and other applicable laws. Background checks including CRB / DBS checks will establish your eligibility to work in the UK and suitability to the role.

Equal Opportunities:

Duncan Lewis is committed to Equal Opportunities and embraces diversity of its staff. The Company strives to ensure that our staff reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, which is reflective at all levels within our workforce

We guarantee an interview for candidates that disclose a disability and meet the essential requirements for the post. Please provide additional details in your covering letter if this applies.

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY AGENCIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR THE ABOVE VACANCY

Duncan Lewis Solicitors is an award-winning, nationally recognised law firm, ranked as a top-tier firm in current edition of The Legal 500 UK. With offices across London and the regions, we offer clear, practical and high-quality advice across a broad range of specialist areas. We act for clients on both a legal aid and private-fee basis, supporting individuals, families and businesses with everything from everyday matters to complex and high-profile litigation. Our continued growth, particularly in private client and complex dispute work, is driven by our reputation for professionalism, integrity and exceptional client care.

We are always keen to hear from committed and capable people, in both legal and non-legal roles. Whether you are an experienced practitioner or looking to begin your career, we welcome applications from individuals who want to contribute to the work we do.

Our recruitment and interview process is designed to understand how you think, how you work and what you can bring to the firm, and to assess your skills, knowledge and experience in a fair and consistent way. To support this, candidates must not use AI-based tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini or similar) to write or edit any part of their interview responses or written communication during the process. We want to hear your own experience, insight and perspective.

Duncan Lewis is committed to Equal Opportunities and values the diversity of its staff. We work to ensure that our workforce reflects the communities we serve at every level of the organisation. We offer a guaranteed interview to applicants who disclose a disability and meet the essential requirements for the role — please highlight this in your covering letter if it applies.