What is a reverse logistics expert at Target?

• Come in and clear the receiving dock (if/when the truck is done with unloading) to make room for pallets of vendor products. Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to have the most vendors and the most pallet space needed (at least six pallets of soda pop, typically, both days). Process the ESIM (hazardous waste, like leaking bleach bottles, medicine, aerosol cans)/donate/vendor pickup from guest services.

• Check-in vendors. Deliveries can occur anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (receiving hours vary at other locations depending on whether a store is a Super Target or not and dependent on what time trailer unload is).

  Checking in a vendor involves scanning the product and ensuring that the invoice matches what they are delivering. You may need to coordinate with a grocery leader if deliveries are unexpectedly large/small, or if a merchandiser never shows up to work the delivery.

• Two to three times a week, there is a "sweep" scheduled. That is, after the inbound trailer is unloaded, you load it up with stuff being sent back to the distribution center. This includes cardboard bales for recycling, empty pallets, plastic for recycling, and more.

This also includes salvage (damaged items that are still resalable at a discount store and items that we no longer carry but still have an inventory of such as last season's fashion) and items that are sent to a central location for electronics recycling.

A sweep can also involve a transfer of excess merchandise back to the distribution center (or to another store, but I've never seen that).

• Receive and deliver the incoming mail from FedEx/UPS. Think mail-room clerk but with packages rather than envelopes. This will include items for other vendors that don't get delivered via their trucks.

  Greeting cards, magazines, and trading cards tend to come this way. This may also include street-dated new release items (typically movies and games) that need to be checked in and verified against the expected deliveries.

  A lot of the store's signing comes through this way as well (and nearly all the rest of it comes in on a pallet delivered by a courier, so that still tends to pass through receiving).

• Maintain, file, retain, and -- eventually (once the retention period has passed) securely destroy -- relevant records (shipping labels, invoices, donation receipts, hazardous waste manifests, etc.)/p>

• Process recalls. This involves finding the items on the sales floor or in the backroom and storing them until further direction is sent.

  Sometimes, items get sent back to the manufacturer; sometimes, they get sent back via the sweep trailer for processing elsewhere; sometimes they get destroyed; sometimes, nothing is wrong and they are released from recall status; and sometimes, they remain in limbo for months.

• Process other inventory removals (typically books, movies, and CDs from the entertainment section of the sales floor). Each week, you are told what to send back to the relevant companies (Sony, Universal Music Group, Readerlink (books), Buena Vista Home Entertainment, etc).

• At the end of the shift, ensure that the receiving dock is ready for the next day's trailer unload. (Cleaning, putting the carts/vehicles used to work freight in their designated spots, etc).

  Reverse logistics experts must be ready to shift focus at any given moment and be prepared to stop and assist vendors.

  The typical Target reverse logistics expert salary is $17 per hour.