Manager of Vendor Relations

About the role

At DICK’S Sporting Goods, we believe in how positively sports can change lives. On our team, everyone plays a critical role in creating confidence and excitement by personally equipping all athletes to achieve their dreams. The Manager of Reverse Logistics & Operations will be responsible for the strategic development of the company's returns, damage and defective programs, and vendor claims, as well as the Reverse Logistics system used by the DC RTV teams and various CSC teams. This individual will collaborate with internal DSG departments—including Logistics, Merchandising, Planning & Allocations, Store Operations, Ecommerce, Inventory Control, Loss Prevention, Finance, and Legal—to provide supervision and operational guidance to the Returns team on vendor claims, damage/defective products, and return‑to‑stock allocation claims. The role also works with domestic vendors, salvage partners, and cross‑functional teams to drive operational improvements, system enhancements, and supply‑chain initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop programs to drive a $2 M budget of miscellaneous income through salvage contract negotiation and utilization of the supply chain.
• Negotiate salvage opportunities, including special projects and inventory overstock issues, within business and legal restrictions.
• Continuously review the Returns team organization at CSC to improve operational efficiency, communication, consistency with partners, and shrink prevention.
• Design and plan salvage and returns programs to support supply‑chain objectives; analyze data and act on new opportunities to improve business functions.
• Increase efficiency and productivity of the returns operations team by collaborating with DSG partners and vendors to generate savings and add value.
• Maintain relationships with Merchandising, Planning, and Allocation departments to launch new programs and controls, relieving approximately 5 M vendor claim units and rebalancing about 1 M inventory units across DCs and stores each year.
• Develop team members’ leadership and job skills to support succession planning and improve teammate satisfaction.
• Manage the hanger process, including procurement, pricing, invoice payment, vendor inquiries, recycling, and generating $337 k income from returned hangers.
• Supervise a staff of one Assistant Manager of Reverse Logistics, one Reverse Logistics Analyst, and one Reverse Logistics Assistant.
• Indirectly manage 100+ associates within DCs related to Returns to ensure process accuracy and consistency.
• Travel to distribution centers with the Assistant Manager of Returns Operations and conduct virtual meetings to support Returns staff and DC operations.
• Accountable for the Returns Team at the CSC, overseeing department training, support, and people development.
• Develop and drive operational objectives for Returns projects, focusing on process accuracy, standard operating procedures, exception handling, and supply‑chain efficiency.
• Establish priorities, goals, and workflows; create standards for domestic vendors and maintain the Domestic Routing Guide with updates as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 5–7 years of experience in supply chain.
• Previous management experience (preferred).
• Previous experience with reverse logistics (preferred).
• Previous experience with contractual negotiations (preferred).
• Ability to drive projects and manage project teams.
• Process‑ and procedure‑oriented.
• Superior organizational abilities.

Virtual interview requirements: Cameras must be on during all virtual interviews, and AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) are not permitted for any part of the interview process. Offers are contingent upon a satisfactory background check, which may include ID verification. Accommodations are available upon request.