Continuous Improvement Specialist III - Industrial Engineering, PCGS (Santa Ana, CA)

Collaborative Solutions • Santa Ana, CA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Collectors is a leading creator of innovative technology providing value-added services for collectors worldwide. We grade, authenticate, vault, and sell millions of record-setting collectibles, modernizing and digitalizing the process. Our services span collectible trading cards, autographs, comic books, coins, video games, event tickets, and memorabilia, with subsidiaries including PSA, PCGS, Beckett, SGC, and Card Ladder. Founded in 1986, we have graded and authenticated millions of items and employ over 3000 people across our headquarters in Santa Ana, California, and international offices. We are looking for a Continuous Improvement Specialist III to drive an operational excellence culture by leading improvement efforts for our brand, PCGS. This role involves managing moderate scope initiatives, analyzing process and performance data, and recommending solutions to improve efficiency, quality, cost-effectiveness, and risk control. You will apply professional judgment within established guidelines and play an active role in improving and sustaining enterprise processes and performance standards. This position reports to the Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement and is based onsite in our Santa Ana, California office, with occasional travel.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• A minimum of 4 years of related experience, or an advanced degree with limited professional experience.
• Applies developing professional expertise in continuous improvement, analytics, and business operations to resolve a variety of operational issues.
• Exercises discretion and independent judgment within defined procedures to address problems of moderate scope and recommend improvements.
• Works with minimal day-to-day supervision; receives general direction on new or complex assignments, with work reviewed for quality, effectiveness, and alignment with objectives.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills applied to moderately complex business operations.
• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau).
• Ability to exercise professional judgment and provide standard advisory recommendations within established frameworks.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills for preparing analyses, reports, and presentations.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law.

Nice To Haves

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred; required within a defined period if not already obtained.

Responsibilities

• Lead analysis of end-to-end business processes using Value Stream Mapping (VSM), DMAIC, and related methodologies to identify inefficiencies, risks, and improvement opportunities across functions.
• Independently execute assigned continuous improvement initiatives, determining appropriate analytical methods, adapting standard approaches as needed, and recommending sustainable, data-driven solutions.
• Plan and facilitate structured improvement events (e.g., Kaizen workshops), including defining scope, coordinating cross-functional participation, and documenting outcomes and controls to improve safety, quality, service, cost and people engagement.
• Develop, refine, and maintain standard work, SOPs, and process documentation to support consistent operating practices, compliance, and performance improvement.
• Define and refine KPIs and performance measurement frameworks; analyze operational and financial data to evaluate trends, improvement results, capacity, and productivity.
• Prepare dashboards, analyses, business cases, and ROI estimates that support leadership decision-making and prioritization.
• Perform workflow, time-based, and process analyses to inform optimization recommendations and support planning activities.
• Provide professional, consultative guidance to managers on process design, improvement strategies, and operational controls.
• Exercise judgment within established policies and procedures to prioritize improvement opportunities, interpret results, and recommend courses of action aligned with organizational goals.
• Support planning, tracking, and reporting of improvement initiatives, including timelines, resource needs, and budget inputs for assigned work.
• Build productive working relationships with operational teams, support functions, and external vendors to resolve issues and implement improvement solutions.
• Communicate complex analytical findings clearly and concisely to non-technical audiences, including leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Contribute to capability building by supporting training materials, best practice documentation, and knowledge sharing related to continuous improvement methodologies.

Benefits

• Health Insurance: All full-time employees are eligible to enroll in Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Additional Benefits: Full-time employees are eligible for fertility, commuter, and educational assistance benefits
• 401(K) Matching Plan: We are proud to offer a competitive 401k matching plan to our employees to support their future financial goals
• Vacation: All salaried employees are eligible for flexible time-off
• Holiday Pay: All regular, full-time employees are eligible for ten company paid holidays
• Employee Discounts: Employees receive discounts on select grading services for approved submissions
• Flexible Hours: Many of our teams offer flexible schedules with varying shifts and will work with you to accommodate your needs
• Fun Working Environment: Our team members are invited to participate in celebrations, holiday events, and team building activities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level