Office Assistant

Office Assistant

Location: Marylebone / Baker Street, London

Contract Type: Full-time/ Permanent

About Us

Clerkenwell Health is an innovative and leading research organisation specialising in the delivery of scientifically grounded clinical trials through our collaborative Contract Research Organisation, extensive Site Network and leading Therapy Development Programme. We specialise in supporting Mental Health and CNS research, with a particular focus on psychedelic drug development.

The Role

We’re looking for a confident, organised Office Assistant to provide front-of-house and general office support across our London sites. You’ll be the first point of contact for trial participants and visitors, and you’ll help keep the site organised, well-stocked and presentable so clinical studies run smoothly and meet the standards expected by our Sponsors, ICH-GCP and other applicable regulations.

You’ll work closely with experienced clinical research staff and site management. This role suits someone confident and assertive — comfortable giving clear direction to patients and visitors, staying calm when the site gets busy, and keen to build a strong working knowledge of how a clinical research site runs day to day.

Key Responsibilities

Front of house & participant experience

• Act as the friendly, professional first point of contact for trial participants and visitors — answering the door/buzzer and welcoming people on arrival.
• Check participant identification against protocol and site procedures.
• Usher participants and visitors to the correct area and notify the relevant clinical team of their arrival.
• Answer incoming calls, take clear messages, and direct them appropriately.
• Follow up with no-show participants by phone, recording outcomes and escalating as required.
• Deliver a high standard of customer service throughout each visit, anticipating needs and resolving practical issues confidently.
• Organise refreshments and snacks for participants and visitors when required.
• Keep visit flow on track and direct people clearly and assertively during busy clinic days.
• Escalate clinical concerns or participant queries to the clinical research team promptly.
• Handle participant information with strict confidentiality, in line with the Data Protection Act and GDPR.

Site presentation & housekeeping

• Prepare the site ahead of visits from participants, sponsors and auditors, keeping rooms and shared areas presentable and audit-ready.
• Maintain a clean, safe and welcoming reception area.
• Keep files, cupboards and storage areas organised and clearly labelled.
• Take ownership of general kitchen upkeep and tidiness of shared staff areas.
• Monitor and escalate site issues (full bins, faults, spillages) promptly.
• Coordinate minor repairs and maintenance, liaising confidently with contractors, tradespeople, landlords and building management.
• Arrange services and small jobs on behalf of the site (e.g. IT repairs, minor building works, appliance repairs), obtaining quotes and following through to completion.
• Support facilities services such as recycling, waste collection and cleaning.

Stock & supplies

• Monitor and maintain stock levels of kitchen, office and bathroom supplies, topping up before they run low.
• Reorder supplies manually or via vendor portals, and submit invoices to the accounts team.
• Receive and check deliveries against orders and store goods appropriately.
• Flag repairs, deliveries or additional supplies needed, and follow up until resolved.
• Support the Site Manager with device requests and onboarding essentials for new joiners.

Clinic & operational support

• Support turnaround of clinic and therapy rooms between participant visits.
• Carry out off-site collections and purchases needed for clinic days (refreshments, consumables, urgent items).
• Manage and file receipts for site purchases, ensuring accurate reconciliation and timely submission to accounts.
• Complete non-clinical photocopying, scanning, filing and postal tasks.
• Receive and sign for deliveries and couriers, including study-related shipments, notifying the relevant team promptly.
• Provide practical and administrative support so clinic sessions start on time and run without interruption.
• Be a visible, approachable presence on busy clinic days, anticipating needs and resolving problems as they arise.
• Support the organisation of staff events — team socials, quarterly events, all-hands meetings — including venue and catering bookings, supplies, and setup/clear-down.
• Take on other reasonable duties as directed by the Line Manager, as the role develops over time.

Training

• Complete mandatory training as outlined by Clerkenwell Health, including refreshers where needed.
• Attend training agreed during Personal Development Reviews, both internal and external.
• Undertake training provided by Trial Sponsors and external scientists to support service improvement.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• Educated to at least GCSE/A level, with fluent English.
• Experience in a reception, front-of-house, office assistant or similar customer-facing role.
• A confident, assertive manner — able to give clear instructions and take ownership of the site environment.
• Basic understanding of confidentiality and data protection requirements.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and general office IT.
• Well organised and practical, able to prioritise competing tasks with minimal supervision.

Desirable

• Previous experience in a clinical research, healthcare or other regulated environment.
• Awareness of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), or willingness to undertake GCP training.
• Experience ordering supplies and liaising with vendors, contractors or facilities providers.
• Experience handling petty cash, receipts or expense reconciliation.
• Basic first aid, fire marshal or health and safety training.
• Experience supporting audits or inspections in a site or office setting.
• Experience organising staff events, socials or team activities.

What We Offer

• A varied, hands-on role at the heart of a pioneering clinical research organisation.
• The chance to build genuine site operations experience within a regulated, mission-led environment.
• A supportive team of experienced clinical research professionals.
• Exposure to pioneering research in mental health and CNS conditions.

If you’re a confident, hands-on individual looking to build genuine site operations experience and play a key role in pioneering mental health research, we’d love to hear from you.