Front Desk & Office Operations Associate | Los Angeles, CA

Job Description

Job Description

Front Desk & Office Operations Associate 

Los Angeles Institute for Metabolic Research, LA-IMR 

About the Institute 

The Los Angeles Institute for Metabolic Research is a growing clinical research organization supporting research participants through structured clinical studies. Its team currently includes approximately 20 employees and is expanding rapidly.  

The organization is seeking someone who can help create a welcoming participant experience while keeping the office organized, supplied, responsive, and operationally efficient.  

Position Summary 

The Los Angeles Institute for Metabolic Research is seeking a dependable and service-oriented Front Desk & Office Operations Associate to provide administrative support, maintain office operations, and ensure continuous front-desk coverage. 

The employee will assist with emails, reminders, participant calls, appointment coordination, deliveries, office supplies, meeting preparation, errands, furniture assembly, document handling, and other practical responsibilities that help the clinical and research teams remain focused on participants and studies. When the existing front-desk employee is on break, at lunch, or absent, this associate will assume responsibility for reception and participant flow. 

This is not a highly specialized medical or clinical role. Previous healthcare experience is helpful but not required. The organization will train the selected candidate on protected health information, HIPAA expectations, clinical research operations, and internal procedures. 

The ideal candidate has strong customer-service instincts, a positive attitude, practical administrative skills, and a genuine willingness to complete both visible and routine assignments. The person must be comfortable moving between reception, participant support, team reminders, supply organization, meal coordination, office setup, and basic hands-on tasks without viewing any reasonable assignment as beneath the position. 

Compensation and Benefits 

Compensation 

• Hourly compensation of $18.00–$22.00. 
• Final pay will be based on job-related factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, education, internal equity, and business needs. 
• The position is non-exempt and eligible for overtime in accordance with applicable wage-and-hour requirements. 
  

At 40 hours per week, the hourly range is approximately equivalent to: 

• $37,440 annually at $18.00 per hour. 
• $45,760 annually at $22.00 per hour. 
  

Benefits 

Full-time benefits include: 

• Healthcare benefits. 
• 401(k). 
• Paid time off. 
• Vacation time. 
• Sick time. 
• Floating holidays. 

Schedule and Work Arrangement 

This is a fully on-site position in Los Angeles, California 90015. It is not eligible for remote or hybrid work. 

The normal operating window is: 

• Monday through Friday. 
• Primarily 7:00 AM–3:30 PM. 
• Exact shift established by the supervisor to maintain front-desk coverage. 

The selected candidate must also be flexible regarding: 

• Occasional earlier start times. 
• Occasional later departure times. 
• Saturday participant schedules. 
• A potential Tuesday-through-Saturday schedule if Saturday operations become ongoing. 
• Schedule adjustments based on participant volume and operational needs. 
  

Saturday operations had not yet begun at the time of the intake call, so weekend frequency should not be presented as a guaranteed weekly requirement. Candidates should instead understand that Saturday availability may become necessary. 

Key Responsibilities 

Administrative and Back-Office Support 

• Review and organize routine administrative emails. 
• Follow up on assigned operational requests. 
• Send internal reminders and help keep team members aware of pending actions. 
• Maintain administrative task lists and deadlines. 
• Support scheduling, documentation, copying, scanning, filing, and data entry. 
• Prepare basic spreadsheets, lists, reports, and office documents. 
• Use Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, or Google Workspace to complete assigned work. 
• Help leadership and team members coordinate routine office needs. 
• Follow up on incomplete assignments. 
• Provide general administrative support across departments. 
• Perform other reasonable duties required to keep daily operations organized. 
  

Front Desk and Reception Coverage 

• Provide backup reception coverage during breaks, lunches, absences, and periods of increased activity. 
• Assume full responsibility for the front desk when the primary receptionist is unavailable. 
• Greet and check in research participants, visitors, sponsors, and study monitors. 
• Notify the appropriate staff member when someone arrives. 
• Answer and route incoming telephone calls. 
• Retrieve and distribute voicemail messages. 
• Respond to general inquiries courteously and efficiently. 
• Maintain visitor sign-in procedures. 
• Handle parking validation. 
• Monitor lobby and waiting-area flow. 
• Keep reception and waiting areas clean, organized, and welcoming. 
  

Participant Flow and Team Coordination 

• Maintain awareness of participant arrivals and anticipated appointments. 
• Notify clinical or research staff promptly when participants arrive. 
• Monitor wait times and identify participants who may require follow-up. 
• Contact the appropriate team member if a participant has been waiting beyond the expected timeframe. 
• Help direct staff attention to participants who are ready to be seen. 
• Communicate schedule changes, delays, or arrival issues. 
• Support a coordinated and participant-centered environment. 
• Avoid providing clinical advice or discussing study information outside the authorized scope of the role. 
  

Participant Calls and Appointment Support 

• Make reminder calls to research participants. 
• Confirm appointment attendance and arrival expectations. 
• Follow approved call scripts and communication procedures. 
• Contact participants when assigned to support scheduling or follow-up. 
• Support visit scheduling and appointment reminders. 
• Document relevant call outcomes. 
• Escalate participant questions requiring clinical, study-related, or privacy-sensitive responses. 
• Assist with arranging rideshare transportation when directed. 
  

The organization currently sees approximately 10–15 participants per day and aims to grow toward approximately 20 daily participants. Clinical research visits are longer than standard medical appointments and may last approximately three hours, with occasional visits lasting up to six hours. 

Office Operations and Supply Management 

• Monitor office, kitchen, reception, exam-room, and general-use supplies. 
• Reorder approved supplies within established budgets. 
• Stock supply closets, storage areas, exam rooms, and common areas. 
• Organize delivered materials. 
• Identify missing, low-stock, or misplaced items. 
• Maintain orderly storage areas. 
• Support the growing office’s changing space and equipment needs. 
• Notify leadership of operational issues that could interfere with participant visits or staff productivity. 

Mail, Packages, and Sponsor Shipments 

• Receive incoming mail, packages, and deliveries. 
• Sort and distribute items to the appropriate recipients. 
• Log and route sponsor shipments. 
• Notify team members when deliveries arrive. 
• Organize outgoing shipping and local drop-offs when assigned. 
• Handle documents and materials carefully. 
• Escalate temperature-sensitive, time-sensitive, damaged, or incorrectly delivered items immediately. 
• Maintain accurate delivery information when required. 
  

Furniture and Equipment Assembly 

• Assemble cabinets, shelving, furniture, and basic office equipment. 
• Use common hand tools safely. 
• Move and position furniture, supplies, and equipment. 
• Follow manufacturer instructions. 
• Request assistance for heavy or complex items. 
• Avoid performing electrical, structural, or specialized maintenance outside the employee’s training. 
• Maintain safe and uncluttered work areas during setup activities. 

Meetings, Events, and Team Support 

• Help prepare rooms for meetings, study-monitoring visits, training sessions, sponsor visits, and events. 
• Arrange furniture, supplies, refreshments, and required materials. 
• Break down rooms after meetings or events. 
• Coordinate meal, coffee, and refreshment orders. 
• Pick up approved food or supplies when assigned. 
• Ensure that orders are accurate and available at the required time. 
• Use approved company payment methods. 
• Assist with other practical tasks that support daily team operations. 
  

Facilities and Vendor Coordination 

• Report facility issues promptly. 
• Coordinate routine requests with building management. 
• Communicate with approved vendors regarding maintenance or operational needs. 
• Track open requests and follow up until resolved. 
• Help maintain safe, clean, and functional office areas. 
• Escalate urgent safety or facility concerns immediately. 
• Maintain records of requests when required. 

Confidentiality and HIPAA Compliance 

• Protect participant privacy at the front desk, over the telephone, and throughout the office. 
• Comply with HIPAA and company confidentiality policies. 
• Safeguard protected health information and company information. 
• Avoid discussing participant information in public or unauthorized areas. 
• Verify the appropriate recipient before transferring messages or sharing information. 
• Keep documents and screens from unauthorized view. 
• Immediately report potential privacy or information-security concerns. 
• Complete required privacy and protected-health-information training. 

Required Qualifications 

• High school diploma or equivalent. 
• Previous customer-service, reception, front-office, administrative, hospitality, retail, or comparable public-facing experience. 
• Friendly and professional demeanor. 
• Clear written and verbal communication. 
• Strong reliability and punctuality. 
• Ability to organize multiple routine responsibilities. 
• Flexible, service-oriented, and willing to perform varied assignments. 
• Basic computer proficiency. 
• Ability to use email and scheduling systems. 
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. 
• Ability to maintain participant and company confidentiality. 
• Willingness to learn HIPAA and protected-health-information procedures. 
• Ability to work full-time and on-site. 
• Ability to work within the 7:00 AM–3:30 PM operating window. 
• Willingness to adjust the schedule when participant or operational needs require it. 
• Legal authorization to work in the United States, subject to Form I-9 verification.  
  

Preferred Qualifications 

• Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills. 
• Experience in a medical office, clinic, research site, or healthcare environment. 
• Administrative assistant or office-coordination experience. 
• Experience making appointment reminders or customer follow-up calls. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook and Excel. 
• Experience coordinating supplies, deliveries, meetings, or office events. 
• Comfort using basic hand tools. 
• Experience assembling furniture, shelving, or office equipment. 
• Experience supporting a fast-growing office. 
• Previous exposure to HIPAA or confidential health information. 

Company Description