Graduate Operations Lead (Reverse Logistics & Circularity)

The Mission

Swoon is an original, design-led brand utilising an innovative NPD process to discover the next home trends. As we continue to scale, we are evolving our "test-and-repeat" model to include a fully circular product lifecycle. We are seeking a technical, data-native graduate to manage our daily reverse logistics operations while simultaneously building the infrastructure for our 2026 Buyback Program.

What are we looking for

This dual-impact role owns our returns ecosystem while architecting our new Buyback initiative. You will manage the high-stakes journey of recovering heavy, high-value, and often unpackaged items, ensuring they reach our refurbishment center undamaged. You are responsible for overseeing our returns partners, ensuring the most economical restoration, rigorous QC, and repackaging to ensure every graded item is ready for profitable resale with total customer transparency.

Beyond recovery, you will leverage this infrastructure to launch a circular Buyback programme, allowing customers to trade legacy Swoon pieces for store credit. By building this resale ecosystem on our website, you will turn complex reverse logistics into a sustainable profit centre that keeps the balance sheet lean and fuels long-term "home obsession".

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Reverse Logistics

• Returns Processing: Manage the end-to-end "Swoon Approved" (BTS) process, including stock checks, SKU creation, and inventory receipts.
• Claims & Cash Recovery: Lead the submission and follow-up of logistics claims and manage recovery channels to clear slow-moving lines, keeping the balance sheet lean.
• Partner Liaison: Act as the main point of contact for refurbishment and retail partners (e.g., John Lewis, Next) to ensure smooth stock flow and coordinate collections.
• Stock Reconciliation: Perform regular audits of returned stock to maintain inventory accuracy and manage intake flow.
• Performance Analysis: Conduct "Cause of Failure" reviews to identify return trends and provide feedback to the UK Operations team to ensure products are shippable without damage.

2. Innovation & Buyback Build

• Project Lead for ‘BUYBACK’: Serve as the operational lead for the 2026 buyback test, enabling customers to sell items back to us for refurbishment and sale.
• AI-Driven Automation: Leverage leading-edge AI tools to maximise the quality and speed of returns processing and stock grading.
• Quality Control Logic: Refine the grading standards (Not Perfect/Almost Perfect) to ensure refurbishment standards are consistently met through data-driven checks.
• Sustainability Roadmap: Help lead the charge on Swoon's circularity goals, ensuring sustainability becomes a core selling point of our range.

Requirements

• Academic Foundation: Recent graduate in STEM or analytical based discipline
• Analytical Agility: Comfortable with data-driven decision-making; able to ask the right questions of Merchandising and Marketing data.
• Embracing AI: A high level of comfort adopting AI tools to automate workflows and maximize output across a lean team.
• Operational Drive: Advanced organizational skills with the ability to manage high volumes of daily tasks.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written skills for holding 3PL partners accountable during weekly reviews.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Share options programme
• Bonus scheme
• Wellbeing allowance
• Pension scheme (including employer contribution)
• Private medical cover for you and your family
• 25 days of annual leave + an extra day for each year of tenure
• Your birthday off + an additional day for volunteering/community work
• Free furniture on each anniversary of employment
• Friends & family discount