Demand Planner

Collectors Universe, Inc.; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 107,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401(K) Matching Plan

Vacation

Holiday Pay

Employee Discounts

Flexible Hours

Fun Working Environment

Job summary

Collectors Universe, Inc. in Santa Ana, CA, is seeking a Demand Planner to own the full planning lifecycle from demand forecasting through materials planning, inventory optimization, and supply coordination.

You will focus on injection molded components and work closely with procurement and operations. This role requires a Bachelor's degree, at least 5 years in demand planning or related, strong Excel skills, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in demand planning, supply planning or inventory management.
• Strong analytical capability with advanced Excel skills; comfortable building tools from scratch.
• Experience operating in fast-paced or resource-constrained environments.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and make decisions with incomplete data.

Responsibilities

• Ownership of the demand forecasting, materials planning, and inventory management across all supported product lines.
• Translate forecasts directly into supply and purchasing signals in coordination with procurement and operations.
• Operate with minimal handoffs, ensuring continuity from planning through execution.
• Partner directly with stakeholders to align on assumptions and priorities.
• Continuously improve forecast accuracy while balancing speed and practicality.
• Work closely with procurement to ensure readiness for new part introductions and demand changes.
• Anticipate risks tied to long lead-time materials and tooling capacity.
• Own inventory health across the network, including turns, aging, excess, and obsolescence.
• Set and adjust safety stock, reorder points, and inventory strategies without relying on fully automated systems.
• Identify and act on opportunities to reduce slow-moving and excess inventory.
• Monitor and address shrinkage and inventory discrepancies in partnership with operations and finance.
• Build reporting and planning tools (primarily in Excel or ERP systems) to create visibility into demand, supply, and inventory.
• Support scenario planning with practical, decision-oriented analysis.
• Incorporate logistics constraints into planning decisions, including inbound timing and distribution impacts.
• Coordinate with logistics partners to anticipate volume changes and potential disruptions.
• Step into gaps as needed to keep the business moving.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical thinking

Supply chain

Decision making under uncertainty

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Company Overview

Collectors is the leading creator of innovative technology that provides value-added services for collectors worldwide. We grade, authenticate, vault, and sell millions of record-setting collectibles, all while modernizing and digitalizing the process to further our mission of helping collectors pursue their passions. We’re always on the lookout for talented people to join our growing team. Our services span collectible trading cards, autographs, comic books, coins, video games, event tickets, and memorabilia. Our subsidiaries include PSA, PCGS, Beckett, SGC, and Card Ladder. Since our founding in 1986, we have graded and authenticated millions of items. We employ more than 3000 people across our headquarters in Santa Ana, California and offices in New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the UK, and France.

As part of our interview process, we request that candidates have their cameras on during video interviews. This helps foster meaningful conversation and allows us to create an experience that closely resembles our standard working environment. Certain interview steps may take place by phone. For remote roles, and at our discretion, candidates may be asked to participate in an on-site interview as part of the final stages of the process. We understand there may be occasional circumstances requiring accommodation and are happy to discuss them as needed. Your recruiter will be able to clarify expectations and answer any questions you have.

Role Overview

We’re looking for a Demand Planner who will own the full planning lifecycle from demand forecasting through materials planning, inventory optimization, and supply coordination. As a Demand Planner, you will support multiple lines of the business, with a strong focus on injection molded components that require thoughtful planning around tooling, lead times, and supplier capacity. You will take on the challenge of acquiring a system that needs to be fully built out. You will be tasked to provide support in establishing structure, build processes, and creating visibility where it is yet to exist. And you’d be operating with sound judgment, strong analytical capability, and the ability to operate effectively with limited resources. You’ll report to the Director, Global Supply Chain and work onsite from our Santa Ana, CA office headquarters. Onsite Requirement: This role requires you to be onsite in the office 5 days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Ownership of the demand forecasting, materials planning, and inventory management across all supported product lines
• Translate forecasts directly into supply and purchasing signals in coordination with procurement and operations
• Operate with minimal handoffs, ensuring continuity from planning through execution
• Partner directly with stakeholders to align on assumptions and priorities
• Continuously improve forecast accuracy while balancing speed and practicality
• Work closely with procurement to ensure readiness for new part introductions and demand changes
• Anticipate risks tied to long lead-time materials and tooling capacity
• Own inventory health across the network, including turns, aging, excess, and obsolescence
• Set and adjust safety stock, reorder points, and inventory strategies without relying on fully automated systems
• Identify and act on opportunities to reduce slow-moving and excess inventory
• Monitor and address shrinkage and inventory discrepancies in partnership with operations and finance
• Build reporting and planning tools (primarily in Excel or ERP systems) to create visibility into demand, supply, and inventory
• Support scenario planning with practical, decision-oriented analysis
• Incorporate logistics constraints into planning decisions, including inbound timing and distribution impacts
• Coordinate with logistics partners to anticipate volume changes and potential disruptions
• Step into gaps as needed to keep the business moving

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Business, Engineering, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in demand planning, supply planning or inventory management
• Strong analytical capability with advanced Excel skills; comfortable building tools from scratch
• Experience operating in fast-paced or resource-constrained environments
• Ability to manage ambiguity and make decisions with incomplete data

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in multi-site manufacturing and/or high-growth environments
• Familiarity with plastics manufacturing processes and tooling lifecycle management
• Experience supporting injection molding or manufacturing environments with long lead-time components
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems without reliance on fully mature planning modules
• Experience working closely with finance on inventory and working capital management
• Experience with lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, continuous improvement initiatives and/or ISO, AS, TS standards.
• Experience in global sourcing and international logistics

Salary

The salary range for this position is $107,000 - $144,000. Actual compensation on this range varies based on a variety of non-discriminatory factors, including location, job level, experience, and skill set. This role may be eligible for bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation, please ask your recruiter for details.

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

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. Collectors uses e-Verify to validate your ability to work legally in the United States.

We are aware that there are instances where individuals are receiving job offers that fraudulently allege to be from Collectors or one of our business units. This type of fraud can be carried out through false websites, through fake e-mails claiming to be from the company or through social media. We never ask for personal information such as your bank account, Social Security numbers or National IDs, nor do we send or request payments for the purchase of business-related equipment. If you suspect fraud, please reach out to [e-mail].

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. We believe that a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills will better service the diverse community of collectors we support. If you require an accommodation to apply or interview with us due to a disability or special need, please email [e-mail] U.S. residents: for disclosures relating to personal information we collect during the employment application and recruitment process, please see our Privacy Notice for U.S. Applicants.