Returns Supervisor

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Returns Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Returns department, ensuring returned merchandise is received, inspected, documented, and processed accurately and efficiently. This role provides hands-on leadership to Returns Associates and Team Leads, coordinates daily workflows, and ensures department productivity, inventory accuracy, safety, and quality standards are consistently met.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Supervise the daily operations of the Returns department, including receiving, sorting, inspection, and processing of returned merchandise.


• Lead, train, coach, and support Returns Associates and Team Leads to ensure consistent performance and adherence to department procedures.


• Assign daily work and monitor workflow to ensure return volumes are processed accurately and within established turnaround times.


• Ensure returned merchandise is properly documented, inspected, categorized, and processed according to company procedures.


• Determine and communicate the appropriate disposition of returned products, including restocking, recycling, or disposal, in accordance with established guidelines.


• Monitor inventory accuracy and ensure all returns are properly processed in the warehouse management and inventory systems.


• Investigate discrepancies involving returned merchandise, inventory counts, damages, shortages, and system transactions, escalating unresolved issues to management as needed.


• Monitor department productivity, accuracy, quality, and turnaround time, and communicate performance issues or opportunities to management.


• Identify recurring return issues, product trends, and process concerns and communicate findings to appropriate departments.


• Partner with Customer Service and Inventory, and other teams to resolve return-related customer, order, and inventory issues.


• Reinforce established procedures and identify opportunities to improve return processing speed, accuracy, and overall efficiency.


• Assist with employee training, onboarding, performance coaching, and accountability in partnership with department management.


• Support daily staffing assignments and communicate staffing or labor needs to management.


• Ensure associates follow company policies, OSHA requirements, safety procedures, and distribution center standards.


• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe Returns work area.


• Help identify opportunities to reduce product loss, unnecessary handling, processing costs, and inventory shrink.


• Participate in inventory counts, audits, distribution center projects, and other operational initiatives as needed.


• Serve as a hands-on point of contact for the Returns team and provide guidance and support to associates throughout the workday.


• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE/SKILLS/EDUCATION:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; college coursework or degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, or a related field is a plus.


• 2–4 years of experience in warehouse, distribution, inventory, returns, or related operations.


• 1–2 years of supervisory, lead, or team leadership experience preferred.


• Experience working with warehouse management systems (WMS), ERP systems, or inventory management software; Avectous experience preferred.


• Strong understanding of inventory control, warehouse processes, and reverse logistics.


• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.


• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced distribution center environment.


• Strong verbal and written communication skills.


• Demonstrated ability to train, coach, and motivate employees while maintaining accountability for performance.


• Ability to work effectively with associates and cross-functional teams at all levels.


• Strong attention to detail and commitment to inventory accuracy, productivity, safety, and quality.


• Ability to work in a hands-on distribution center environment and adapt to changing priorities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, and handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. 

NOTE 

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. 

BYLT provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any time without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.