Приём посылок работает у стойки администратора.

Because приём is a noun, not a verb.

• приём = acceptance, receiving, intake
• It comes from the verb принимать = to accept / to receive

So the sentence is built more like:

• The parcel-acceptance service operates at the administrator’s desk.

This kind of noun is very common in signs and official language in Russian:

• приём документов = document submission / document intake
• приём врача = a doctor’s appointment / consultation
• часы приёма = reception hours / office hours

So приём посылок is basically parcel acceptance or parcel drop-off service.

Because приём usually takes the thing being accepted in the genitive case.

You can think of it as:

• приём чего? = acceptance of what?
• посылок = of parcels

Here:

• посылка = parcel, package
• plural nominative: посылки
• plural genitive: посылок

So:

• приём посылок = acceptance of parcels

This is a very common pattern with verbal nouns in Russian:

• проверка документов = checking of documents
• продажа билетов = sale of tickets
• доставка товаров = delivery of goods

In Russian, работает is often used not only for people but also for services, desks, offices, machines, and systems.

So работает can mean:

• is operating
• is open
• is functioning
• is available

In this sentence, it means that the parcel acceptance service is operating at that location.

Very common examples:

• Касса работает до шести. = The ticket office is open until six.
• Лифт не работает. = The elevator isn’t working.
• Регистрация работает с девяти. = Registration operates from nine.

So this sounds natural in Russian.

Because у means by / near / at, while на usually means on or sometimes at depending on context.

Here, у стойки администратора means:

• by the administrator’s desk
• at the reception desk

If you said на стойке, it would usually sound more like on the desk/counter, physically on top of it.

Compare:

• у стойки = by the desk, at the desk area
• на стойке = on the desk/counter surface

So in this sentence, у стойки is the natural choice for location of a service point.

Because the preposition у requires the genitive case.

Dictionary form:

• стойка = desk, counter, stand

After у, it becomes:

• у стойки = by the desk / at the counter

Other examples of у + genitive:

• у окна = by the window
• у двери = by the door
• у входа = by the entrance

So у стойки is just regular case government after у.

Yes. администратора is the genitive singular of администратор.

Here it depends on стойки and means:

• the administrator’s desk
• the desk of the administrator

So:

• стойка администратора = administrator’s desk / reception desk

This is a noun + noun structure where the second noun often goes into the genitive to show relationship:

• дверь комнаты = the room’s door / the door of the room
• центр города = the city center
• номер телефона = phone number

In the full phrase:

• у стойки администратора

the word стойки is genitive because of у, and администратора is genitive because it modifies стойка.

Yes. Russian word order is flexible.

The sentence:

• Приём посылок работает у стойки администратора.

is perfectly natural, but you could also say:

• У стойки администратора работает приём посылок.

That version puts the location first, something like:

• At the administrator’s desk, parcel acceptance is available.

The original version sounds a bit like introducing the service first, then saying where it is.
The alternative sounds a bit like introducing the location first.

So the word order changes focus more than basic meaning.

Yes, very much so.

Russian often uses short noun phrases on signs instead of full sentences. So you might see:

• Приём посылок
• Выдача посылок = parcel pickup
• Приём документов
• Выдача заказов

The full sentence Приём посылок работает у стойки администратора sounds like an announcement or informational notice explaining where that service is located.

So the phrase itself is very natural in an office, hotel, apartment building, or service setting.

Only if you mean one specific parcel.

Compare:

• приём посылок = acceptance of parcels, parcel drop-off service in general
• приём посылки = acceptance of a parcel, one parcel

For a general service, Russian normally uses the plural:

• приём посылок

because it means the service handles parcels in general.

Often yes, in practice it can be understood as the reception desk or the administrator’s desk.

• стойка = counter, desk
• администратор = administrator, front-desk staff member, receptionist-like employee depending on context

In places like hotels, clinics, offices, or apartment buildings, стойка администратора often refers to the front desk area where a staff member sits.

So in natural English, you might translate it as:

• at the administrator’s desk
• at the front desk
• at reception

depending on the situation.

A helpful pronunciation guide is:

• Приём — pri-YOM
• посылок — pa-SY-lak
• работает — ra-BO-ta-yet
• у стойки — oo STOY-kee
• администратора — ad-mi-ni-STRA-ta-ra

A more connected approximation:

pri-YOM pa-SY-lak ra-BO-ta-yet oo STOY-kee ad-mi-ni-STRA-ta-ra

A few useful stress points:

• приём
• посылок
• работает
• стойки
• администратора

Stress matters a lot in Russian, so these are worth memorizing.