Continuous Improvement Specialist II, Industrial Engineering (Santa Ana, CA)

Collectors Universe, Inc.; California (MO); On-site; USD 79,000 - 93,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Fertility assistance

Commuter benefits

Educational assistance

401(k) matching

Flexible time-off

Job summary

Collectors Universe, Inc. is seeking an on-site Continuous Improvement Specialist II in Santa Ana, CA. The role focuses on leading end-to-end process improvements, analyzing operations and finances to drive efficiency and quality, and developing robust KPIs and dashboards for leadership decision-making.

You will facilitate Kaizen events, develop standard work, and guide cross-functional teams on improvement strategies while maintaining compliance and strong operational controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of related experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt preferred; required within defined period.
• Strong analytics and data visualization skills.
• Ability to communicate findings to non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end process improvements using VSM, DMAIC to identify inefficiencies.
• Execute improvement initiatives with data-driven methods and adaptive approaches.
• Plan and facilitate Kaizen events; document outcomes and actions.
• Develop standard work, SOPs, and process documentation for consistency.
• Define KPIs and analyze data for trends, capacity, and productivity.
• Prepare dashboards and ROI analyses to support leadership decisions.
• Provide guidance on process design and operational controls.
• Support planning, tracking, and budgeting for improvement projects.

Skills

Data analysis

Analytical thinking

Excel

PowerBI

Tableau

Communication

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Business/Operations Management or related

Tools

PowerBI

Tableau

Job description

Continuous Improvement Specialist II

Location: SantaAna, California (onsite, 5 days per week, occasional travel). Working directly under the Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement.

What You’ll Do

• 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.

Who You Are

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• Typically requires a minimum of 2 years of related experience, or an advanced degree with limited professional experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred; required within a defined period if not already obtained.
• Applied professional expertise in continuous improvement, analytics, and business operations to resolve a variety of operational issues.
• Exercise 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, PowerBI, 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.

Salary

Annual base salary range: $79,000 – $93,000, varying by location, experience, and skill set.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Fertility, commuter, and educational assistance benefits.
• 401(k) matching plan.
• Flexible time‑off and holiday pay (10 paid holidays).
• Employee discounts on grading services.
• Flexible hours and supportive work environment.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to 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.

If you require an accommodation to apply or interview with us due to a disability or special need, please email [e-mail].

Collectors uses e‑Verify to validate your ability to work legally in the United States. If you suspect fraud in the hiring process, please reach out to [e-mail].