Receptionist

Underwriters Laboratories Inc.; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

UL Research Institutes in Columbia, Maryland is seeking a Receptionist to deliver essential customer service and administrative support for the Fire Safety facility. The role serves as the primary point of contact for staff, visitors, and collaborators at the front desk.

The incumbent will manage communications, coordinate scheduling, organize filing, and oversee shipments, supplies, and onsite logistics, while supporting events and coordinating with building management.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Minimum 1 year experience in receptionist/front-desk/customer support.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; SharePoint is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary point of contact for visitors, staff, and inquiries.
• Manage communications, calls, mail, shipping, and receiving.
• Coordinate meetings, on-site logistics, and room setups.
• Maintain filing systems and update Nasuni/SharePoint as needed.
• Maintain office supplies and handle procurement requests.
• Arrange travel and accommodations for guests and collaborators.
• Support larger onsite events and liaise with building management.

Skills

Task prioritization

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Time management

Customer service

Adaptability

Problem solving

Microsoft Office proficiency

Discretion / confidentiality

Team collaboration

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

SharePoint

Job description

Job Description We have an exciting opportunity for a Receptionist at UL Research Institutes, based in our Columbia, Maryland office.

The Receptionist delivers essential customer service and administrative support for the Fire Safety facility. As the primary point of contact, this role ensures a warm, professional, and efficient front‑line experience for staff, visitors, and collaborators.

The Receptionist is responsible for the logistical and clerical execution of daily office operations, including managing communications, coordinating scheduling needs, maintaining office supplies, and overseeing shipping and receiving processes.

UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries.

We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge. Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Fire Safety teams who conduct the research required to produce that knowledge and put into practice.

Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) advances fire safety knowledge to address the world’s unresolved fire safety risks and emerging dangers.

As part of UL Research Institutes, we are committed to sharing our fire safety insights with everyone to advance UL’s public safety mission of providing safe living and working environments for people everywhere.

Through advanced fire science, rigorous research, extensive outreach, and education in collaboration with our international network of partners, we share with stakeholders the information, tools, and resources that enable them to make better, more fire‑safe decisions that ultimately save lives and property.

To learn more, visit FSRI.org.

What you’ll learn and achieve:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for visitors, staff, callers, and general inquiries.
• Manage incoming and outgoing communications and correspondence, including phone calls, emails, mail distribution, shipping, and receiving.
• Coordinate meeting and onsite logistics, including room setup, catering arrangements, A/V preparation, and scheduling support.
• Organize and maintain electronic and physical filing systems, and assist with updates to internal platforms such as Nasuni and SharePoint.
• Maintain office supply inventory, process procurement requests, and **escalate** vendor or contract concerns as needed.
• Monitor and uphold the cleanliness, organization, and overall readiness of office and common areas.
• Arrange travel and accommodations for visiting guests and collaborators.
• Provide support larger onsite events and activities as required.
• Serve as the onsite liaison with building and property management and administer the office security system and access credentials.
• Perform other duties as directed.

What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes:

We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

People: Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require.

Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.

Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.

Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

Total Rewards:

All employees at UL Research Institutes are eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and prioritize workload.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in all tasks.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Dedication to providing excellent customer service to stakeholders and colleagues.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and work environments.
• Ability to identify and solve problems efficiently.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other office software.
• Discretion and ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality.
• Collaborative attitude and ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Higher Secondary Education (High School Diploma) or equivalent.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in a receptionist, front-desk, or customer support role.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; experience in SharePoint is a plus.

Salary Range: $38,000.00-$52,250.00 Pay Type: Hourly

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.

UL Research Institutes is a leading independent safety science organization with global reach. Dedicated to exploring vital questions related to public safety, we sense and act on risks to humanity and our planet. Since 1894, our trusted research has engaged the ingenuity of top minds across scientific disciplines to engineer a safer and more sustainable world. Science builds the knowledge required to mitigate increasingly urgent safety problems like environmental and chemical pollution or artificial intelligence inequities — and our rigorous, objective investigations uncover that knowledge. In collaboration with a global network of scientists and safety professionals, we define the safe and sustainable use of things ranging from legacy materials to new and emerging technologies. Our discoveries support the development of practical standards and policies by UL Standards & Engagement. Together, we are advancing safety science for the greater good.