Senior Returns Manager, EU

Job description

**ABOUT QUINCE** Quince is a destination for builders, creators, innovators, and operators who want to come together and challenge the status quo. Our mission is simple: make really high quality essentials for really low prices, fairly and sustainably. We deliver on that mission through a unique manufacturer-to-consumer (M2C) model eliminating the layers of traditional retail that add cost and result in consumers paying more than they need to. We find, build relationships with, and work directly with the manufacturing partners behind some of the world’s finest products. From there, our teams design smart, efficient operational processes and build and deploy proprietary technology, AI, and analytics to help us scale fast. What began with a small assortment of elevated basics has quickly grown into a cross-category brand spanning apparel, accessories, home goods, and more. Today, tens of millions of people across a growing number of countries come – and return – to Quince because they trust us to deliver. **OUR CULTURE** Quince is a culture built for builders by builders. Our way of working starts with a blank sheet of paper. We question conventional thinking, use technology and data to uncover new opportunities, and move quickly to turn ideas into reality. We aren’t interested in replicating how others do retail. We’re building a better way – at a speed and scale unlike anything that’s been done before. - We dream big and chase the hard problems others shy away from. Rejecting long-held assumptions is part of our company's DNA. Where conventional wisdom says you have to choose – soft or durable, speed or rigor, quality or price – we ask why that trade-off has to exist in the first place. - Our pace is fast and the bar is high because our customers expect a lot from us and we refuse to let them down. We believe the best results come from challenging ourselves, learning from one another, and building on each other's strengths. - Here, responsibility is not determined by role, tenure, or seniority. Every team member - no matter their level - has the opportunity to drive our business and shape our trajectory. If you’re someone who likes to imagine new possibilities and build better systems rather than plug-in to outdated ones, Quince is the place for you. ## About the Role We're looking for a Returns Manager to own end-to-end reverse logistics performance across our UK and EU operations. From forecasting incoming volume through grading, refunds, fraud prevention, and resale, you'll build a returns operation that's fast, accurate, and cost-efficient — while turning returned inventory back into recovered value. This is a hands-on role for someone who can dig into root causes, manage partners and carriers, and build the reporting to prove it's working. ## What You'll Do **Returns Forecasting & Planning** - Build and maintain returns volume forecasting models across UK and EU markets, factoring in seasonality, backlog, promotions, and category-level return patterns - Translate forecasts into staffing, processing capacity, and warehouse space plans for returns operations - Monitor returns rate trends and flag volume shifts to inventory, finance, and merchandising teams **Customer Refunds** - Oversee timely, accurate refund processing in line with UK and EU consumer rights regulations - Audit warehouse/QRC staff on grading standards and quality checks - Partner with customer service and finance to resolve refund discrepancies and disputes - Track refund turnaround time against SLA and resolve bottlenecks in the refund workflow **Fraud Detection & Prevention** - Build and refine fraud detection processes for returns abuse (wardrobing, serial returners, empty-box claims, item-not-as-described fraud) - Partner with risk and customer service teams to develop fraud rules/flags and investigate high-risk cases - Balance fraud prevention with customer experience, avoiding over-blocking of legitimate returns **Returns Root Cause & Logistics Feedback** - Track and categorize return reasons, with particular focus on logistics-driven returns (damaged in transit, wrong item shipped, late or failed delivery, packaging failure) - Partner with warehouse, supply chain, and carrier teams to reduce logistics-driven returns through root cause analysis and corrective action - Present return reason trends to leadership to inform packaging, product, and logistics improvements **Returns Resale & Recommerce** - Manage resale/recommerce channels for graded inventory (open-box, refurbished, clearance, secondary market and liquidation partners) - Maximize recovery value on returned inventory while minimizing time-to-resale - Build and manage relationships with resale/liquidation partners and evaluate new recommerce channels across UK and EU markets **Reverse Logistics & Carrier Management** - Negotiate rates and service levels with carriers for return shipments across UK and EU markets - Manage carrier performance for return pickups, label generation, and inbound transit times - Evaluate and roll out returns-specific shipping options (paperless returns, drop-off points, pickup services) to reduce cost and improve the customer experience **SLA & Performance Management** - Define and manage SLAs across the returns lifecycle — receipt to grading, grading to disposition, refund turnaround, and time-to-resale - Monitor 3PL and warehouse partner performance against returns SLAs; escalate and resolve issues as needed - Build reporting and dashboards to track returns KPIs and turn data into actionable recommendations for leadership **Cross-Functional & Compliance** - Partner with customer service, supply chain, finance, and merchandising to align returns operations with broader business goals - Ensure returns operations comply with UK and EU consumer protection, distance selling, and VAT/duty rules (including treatment of re-imported goods and refund-related VAT adjustments) - Stay current on evolving returns-related regulation across UK and EU markets ## What You'll Bring **Required** - 5–8+ years managing returns or reverse logistics operations in a high-volume ecommerce or retail environment, ideally across UK and EU markets - Experience building returns forecasting and capacity planning models - Solid understanding of UK and EU consumer rights, refund, and distance-selling regulations - Experience designing or managing returns fraud detection and prevention programs - Track record reducing logistics-driven returns through root cause analysis and cross-functional fixes - Experience managing return resale, refurbishment, or liquidation channels - Carrier negotiation experience for reverse logistics/return shipping - Strong SLA and KPI management skills, with reporting experience (Excel, SQL, or BI tools) - Hands-on experience with WMS/OMS returns modules - Excellent cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills **Preferred** - Experience in DTC, fashion/apparel, or other high-return-rate ecommerce categories - Familiarity with recommerce or liquidation platforms and partners - Experience operating across multiple EU countries and languages - Background in fraud/risk analytics - Experience managing reverse logistics SLAs with UK/EU carriers (e.g., Royal Mail, Evri, DPD, DHL, GLS) **WHY QUINCE?** Joining Quince means being part of a mission-driven team reshaping retail. You will work alongside talented colleagues, tackle meaningful challenges, and contribute to building a more sustainable, accessible future for customers and partners alike. **EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & HIRING INTEGRITY** Quince provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applications for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Quince is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete your application or to perform the essential functions of a role at Quince, please let us know by completing [this accommodation form](https://forms.gle/DpJ11jHa1WbqfUWB9). We review all requests individually and will work with you to determine appropriate accommodations on a case-by-case basis. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Quince will conduct background checks in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. *Security Advisory: Beware of Frauds* At Quince, we're dedicated to recruiting top talent who share our drive for innovation. To safeguard candidates, Quince emphasizes legitimate recruitment practices. Initial communication is primarily via official Quince email addresses and LinkedIn; beware of deviations. Personal data and sensitive information will not be solicited during the application phase. Interviews are conducted via phone, in person, or through the approved platforms Google Meets or Zoom—never via messaging apps or other calling services. Offers are merit-based, communicated verbally, and followed up in writing. If personal information is requested to initiate the hiring process, rest assured it will be through secure and protected means.