Administrative Specialist

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. seeks a People Services & Culture Administrative Specialist for our Pasadena, CA campus. The role supports daily office operations, welcomes employees and visitors, and coordinates events and vendor services in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

You will manage front desk duties, assist with meetings, vendor invoices, COIs, and site programs while ensuring a welcoming, secure, and organized workplace for all staff and guests.

Qualifications

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities.
• Proactive and resourceful approach to identifying and resolving operational needs.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong interpersonal and customer-service skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage the front desk by greeting employees, candidates, visitors, and guests; determine the visit purpose and direct accordingly.
• Coordinate visitor and security lists and maintain accurate records.
• Monitor security cameras and escalate concerns per site procedures.
• Oversee the Lunch Program including vendor coordination, setup, and budget reporting.
• Maintain kitchens/pantries and keep areas clean, stocked, and organized.
• Handle mail and deliveries and assist with space preparation for new hires.
• Prepare conference rooms, signage, and space layouts for teams and events.
• Support vendor contracts, COI requests, and related records.
• Plan employee events, meetings, and workplace activities with cross-functional partners.

Skills

Organizational skills

Time management

Attention to detail

Microsoft Office proficiency

Interpersonal skills

Customer-service mindset

Communication at all levels

Education

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq ARWR) is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.

Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.

Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI & San Diego, CA, and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Verona, WI. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.

The Position

The People Services & Culture Administrative Specialist is responsible for supporting the day-to-day operations of Arrowhead’s Pasadena office and People Services & Culture department. This role serves as a key point of contact for employees, visitors, vendors, and internal stakeholders while helping ensure a welcoming, organized, secure, and well-maintained workplace.

Responsibilities include managing the front desk, coordinating workplace and vendor services, supporting employee events and meetings, assisting with office operations, and providing administrative support across the organization.

The ideal candidate is driven, proactive, highly organized, and service-oriented, with a demonstrated ability to take ownership of responsibilities. This individual should be comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and working cross-functionally to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.

This is a full-time, onsite position at Arrowhead’s Corporate Headquarters in Pasadena, CA.

Responsibilities

• Manage the front desk by greeting employees, candidates, visitors, and guests; determine the purpose of each visit and direct or escort individuals to the appropriate location.
• Manage visitor and security lists and ensure visitor information is accurate and current.
• Monitor security cameras and elevate concerns in accordance with established site procedures.
• Manage the site Lunch Program, including vendor coordination, set-up and breakdown, budget forecasting, and reporting.
• Maintain kitchens and pantries, including coffee preparation, and ensure areas remain clean, organized, and fully stocked.
• Manage incoming and outgoing mail and deliveries.
• Prepare offices and workspaces for new employees and coordinate the reset of spaces following employee departures.
• Ensure office and conference room nameplates and signage are installed and current.
• Manage vendor services, invoices, contracts, contact information, Certificate of Insurance (COI) requests, and COI records.
• Coordinate with vendors regarding repairs and maintenance of workplace equipment, including water and coffee machines and other operational equipment.
• Assist with the planning and execution of employee events, meetings, and workplace activities.
• Support site meetings upon request, including food and beverage coordination and partnership with IS&I and other departments as needed.
• Coordinate business activities such as luncheons, conference registrations, and similar events.
• Provide site tours as needed.
• Provide general administrative support to site leadership and People Services & Culture.
• Support the Talent Acquisition team with interview scheduling and other administrative activities as needed.
• Maintain the overall aesthetics, organization, and professional appearance of the office.
• Complete assigned projects supporting People Services & Culture at both the local and company-wide level.
• Demonstrate consistent ownership and follow-through on assigned responsibilities, proactively communicating risks, delays, or needed support.

Requirements

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines.
• Proactive and resourceful approach to identifying and resolving operational needs.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong interpersonal and customer-service skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.

Preferred

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree.
• Event planning experience from concept development through execution, including vendor sourcing, contract coordination, timeline development, and budget management.
• Experience managing or working within departmental or event budgets.
• Experience supporting office, workplace, hospitality, or front-desk operations.
• Notary Public designation.

Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.

Candidates must have current, valid authorization to work in the country where this role is located.