Thornton Returns Associate($21-$25/hr) | Hiring

Opportunity in Thornton

Primary Details

• Position: Returns Associate (Flexible/Contract, Thornton)
• Based in: Thornton, CO (our growing Thornton office)
• Company: UPS
• This Thornton-based role is an excellent opportunity for professionals skilled in relevant skills.
• Our UPS team in Thornton, CO is growing.
• Benefit from working in Thornton, a key hub for the Package Logistics And Fulfillment industry.

Rewards

• Pay: $21-$25/Hour (approx. $48.4k/Year)
• Benefits: A competitive compensation package is offered.
• Project-based work with clear objectives.

Responsibilities

• This role centers on your professional skills within the Package Logistics And Fulfillment space in Thornton.

About UPS & Our Culture

Reverse logistics is one of the fastest-growing segments of the e-commerce supply chain — and UPS processes more returns volume than almost any other carrier in North America. Our Returns Associates sit at the center of this growing operation, evaluating, grading, and routing returned shipments with the detail and judgment that determines whether a returned item becomes a restocked asset or a loss. If you prefer a stationary, analytical work environment over the high-velocity pace of a main sort belt, our returns associate jobs offer a genuinely different warehouse experience — quieter, more methodical, and more intellectually engaging than traditional sort floor work, all backed by the same Teamsters union contract that protects every UPS associate.

What Our Team Says (Employee Reviews)

"Returns work at UPS suits my personality perfectly. I am detail-oriented and I prefer thinking to running. Every package I open is a mini investigation — why did it come back, what condition is it in, and where does it go next. The work is less physical than sort floor jobs, the environment is quieter and more focused, and the management team genuinely values the accuracy I bring. The union wage for a returns associate at UPS is the same as the sort floor — same pay, easier on my body." - Current Returns Associate, Denver, CO.

Role Overview & Responsibilities

As a UPS Returns Associate, you process inbound customer return shipments at a stationary workstation inside our fulfillment center — opening returned packages, evaluating item condition against digital grading criteria, and routing every returned item to the correct disposition path with the accuracy that protects our customers' refund timelines and our network's inventory integrity.

• Return Package Inspection: Open returned customer shipments and physically inspect contents against the original order record, assessing item condition for completeness, damage, and usability using UPS's digital grading prompt system displayed at your workstation terminal.
• Condition Grading & Coding: Apply the correct disposition code to every returned item — sellable, damaged, vendor return, or liquidate — accurately entering each decision into the returns management system within the time window that triggers the customer's automated refund.
• Repackaging & Restocking Prep: Clean, re-bag, and re-label items graded as sellable, preparing them for immediate reintroduction into active inventory so they can be fulfilled to the next customer without delay or additional warehouse handling.

Benefits & Perks

UPS Returns Associates work in a climate-controlled, stationary environment with Teamsters union wages, full medical, dental, and vision benefits, pension accrual, paid personal time, and UPS Earn & Learn tuition assistance. The lower physical demand of the returns role makes it one of the most sustainable long-term positions in the UPS fulfillment associate lineup for associates who prioritize a less physically intensive warehouse career.