Reverse Logistics Analyst

A typical week often involves return-flow analysis, processing-cost review, vendor coordination, and the steady cadence of cross-functional reporting — pulling return-rate data by SKU or category, analyzing refurbishment and resale economics, sitting with merchandising or product teams on return drivers, prepping recommendations for operations. You're often the analytical voice making the case for upstream changes that reduce returns. Return rate, processing cost, and recovery value are the operating measures.

Friction tends to come from the gap between what returns data shows and what merchandising hears — return drivers often trace back to product, marketing, or operational decisions, and the conversations across functions take patience. Variance across employers is sharp: at large e-commerce and retail operations reverse logistics has dedicated systems and teams; at smaller operations the work happens through spreadsheets and direct vendor conversations.

It fits people who are analytically rigorous, cross-functionally diplomatic, and operationally curious. APICS CSCP credentials anchor advancement. The trade-off is operating in a function that's often seen as a cost center — the wins are quiet, and the visibility tends to flow to the revenue-facing teams whose decisions drove the return volume.